44 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Hon. J. F. C. Hyde (of Newton). Mr. Chairman, I did 

 not come here to speak, but to listen. Some people are good 

 speakers, and others are good listeners : I meant to belong 

 to the latter class to-day. This is, however, a subject in 

 which I feel a great deal of interest, because, from my earliest 

 years, I have been familiar with nurseries, and have been a 

 nurseryman for a great many years. I have been much 

 interested in the paper read, but shall not attempt to add 

 any thing in the line of its remark, because the ground has 

 been so fully covered by our friend who has given it to us. 

 There are, however, a few things I will say. 



For years I have been in favor, as some of you know, of 

 planting barren lands with native trees. Many of you have 

 read, probably, Mr. Marsh's book, who has given a great deal 

 of attention to this subject, as to the effect of removing trees 

 on the climate, on the weather, on rivers, streams, and wells : 

 and many persons " Pooh, pooh ! " at such statements ; but, 

 if they will study the subject, I think they will agree that 

 great changes have been brought about by the cutting-off of 

 the forests. This is certain, that the rivers and mill privi- 

 leges are not what they used to be. The mills used to run 

 without the aid of steam ; but to-day the small rivers have 

 become brooks, the larger rivers small rivers, and all who 

 manufacture must use steam. Some say, in answer to that, 

 that the rain-fall for the last ten years has been as large as it 

 ever was for that period of time ; but, suppose it to be so, 

 the water now falls upon these denuded hills wliere before 

 were forests, and the water was weeks working its way 

 down, and supplying the streams more gradually than now. 

 At the present time, the rain falls and rushes down these 

 hillsides to the river, and from the river to the sea; and 

 consequently it is soon gone, and the result is seen in the 

 streams, in the springs, and in the wells. 



I do not know how you find it at your homes ; but I find 

 that to-day more than half the wells are dry, and I know of 

 farmers who have been carting water for months for their 

 farm necessities. It was not so in my boyhood, years ago. 

 There was a noted spring on a hillside in Newton, from 

 which the meadow took its name, — Spring Meadow, — that 

 to-day is as dry as the floor of this hall ; and yet it was never 

 known to be dry, summer or winter, during the early years 



