56 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



earth slowly. Now it runs right off. That, I think, is the reason why 

 we have more sudden changes now than formerly. I think there is as 

 much water falls in Illinois now as forty years ago, but it runs off more 

 rapidly. The Illinois river was lower thirty years ago than it has ever 

 been since. 



Mr. Riley — Would you not admit that the artificial system of drain- 

 age does the same as that ? 



Mr. Wier — There are a great many things that may have some effect. 

 Once there were many miles in our neighborhood where the cattle could 

 not pass through the creek bottoms. This country has been settled, and 

 tramped by cattle ; now you can pass through, and you would not think 

 there was ever any swamp there at all. Then the cattle covered up the 

 mouths of the springs with their tramping. I recollect one place, near our 

 house, where there was a good spring, and it gave out, and the family 

 thought it had gone dry. This year they were plowing the ground, and 

 struck the vein of water, and it came right up again. 



SPECIAL COMMITTEES. 



The President announced the following committees : 



Presidenf s Address — L. C. Francis, S. G. Minkler, A. A. Hilliard. 



Auditing — E. Daggy, I. Snedecker, W. T. Nelson. 



Fruit on Exhibition — S. G. Minkler, W. H. Mann, H. C. Graves. 



Final Resolutions — H. H. McAfee, W. C. Flagg, Smiley Shepherd. 



DISCUSSION RESUMED UPON METEOROLOGICAL INFLUENCE OF 



FORESTS. 



Mr. McAfee— I am glad that the other side has spoken. I am glad 

 the nail has been hit on the head. I am glad Meehan wrote the article 

 he did, and published it ; because this thing was getting monotonous and 

 wearisome. Tree planting was getting popular — even politicians were 

 going into it. Now that we have a mark to aim at — a jDosition to fight 

 against — those who have Scotch blood in their veins will feel like buckling 

 on their armor. 



I did not hear the essay which is the subject of discussion ; but as I 

 understand it \% pro or con whether the forests have an influence on rain- 

 fall, and whether they have a meteorological influence. 



Now there are a great many points in this discussion on which we do 

 not differ at all. There is this point — 'about the action of civilization in 

 regard to stock. There is this point — about culture — and the question 



