244 



ARBORICULTURE 



In riding over the divide recently I 

 saw on a small area one hundred promi- 

 nent trees which had received a lightning 

 stroke. High mountains and prominent 

 trees are objects which attraiit the elec- 

 tric current, while the violence with 

 which the disturhaiue occurs gauges the 

 quantity of moisture ])recipitated, or, in 

 other words, reduces the ability of the 

 atninsj)hcrc to hold moisture in solution. 



ELECTRICAL ENEUGV. 



The atmosphere is capable of support- 

 ing a given weight of water when distrib- 

 uted in minute particles as vapor, th( 

 quantity which it can absorb and hold 

 in suspension being variable, depending 

 upon temperature and upon equanimity 

 of electricity, which always accompanies 

 cloud movements. Electricity is rapidly 

 absorbed, conducted and diffused by 

 water. It is transferred through moist 

 air currents to various parts of the earth. 

 Electricity may be passive, as when its 

 changes occur slowly and with regularity, 

 or violent when, by contact with a good 

 conductor, it is suddenly conveyed from 

 cloud to earth, or the reverse. 



Violent electric energy decreases the 

 ability of the atmosphere to retain moist- 

 ure, and precipitation occurs in great 

 quantities; as these electric changes de- 

 crease the power of buoyancy of the at- 

 mosphere, a portion of its weight is dis- 

 charged. 



Heavy clouds hang low upon the sur- 

 face. The weight of moisture which they 

 bear brings them in contact with objects 

 upon the surface. If these are forests, 

 the electric changes are constant, the 

 regularity causing gentle showers. If 

 the obstacle is a prominent tree or spire, 

 the bolt descends, the o])ject is shattered, 

 while a downpour of rain accompanies 

 the violent energy. 



In passing over a mountain chain, ab- 

 rupt peaks become the conducting me- 

 dium, and snow is precipitated. 



CLOUDBURSTS. 



This has become a popular expression 

 where extraordinarv rainfall occurs. All 

 showers are cloudbursts, simply varying 

 in degree. When more violent electric 

 changes occur, as when the atmosphere 



is holding moisture to point of satura- 

 tion, and objects in the pathway of the 

 clouds conduct the electric lluid in- 

 stantly, intense precipitation occurs, the 

 earth in that locality is deluged beyond 

 the ability of the water courses to convey 

 it quickly away, and low-lying lands be- 

 come flooded. 



The removal of large bodies of forests 

 destroys the regular and systematic elec- 

 tric connections between earth and sky, 

 and in consequence the electric energy 

 becomes violent, and cloudbursts occur 

 with frequency. The planting of forest 

 belts in a systematic manner and the 

 maintenance of a reasonable area of for- 

 est will equalize this electrical diffusion, 

 rain will become more regular and impet- 

 uous storms infrequent. 



The Eastern borders of the ]\Iediter- 

 ranoan, previous to the time of King Sol- 

 omon, nuiintained a population of ten 

 millions of })eople. The rich agricultural 

 region about Jerusalem at that time pro- 

 vided food not only for these millions of 

 Solomon's subjects, but for the dwellers 

 of the country round about who dealt 

 with the Israelites. This is fully attested 

 by all ancient writers as well as by Divine 

 history. So long as the great range of 

 Lebanon Mountains was covered with 

 trees the rains were regular and abun- 

 dant and agriculture was the principal 

 occupation of the Jews. 



With the removal of the forests from 

 these elevated coasts, electrical condi- 

 tions were changed, droughts became 

 more and more frequent, agriculture 

 became a precarious occupation, grazing 

 took its place, and, finally Palestine be- 

 came uninhabitable except to a handful 

 of wandering Bedouins. 



OTIR ILLUSTRATIONS 

 Ar(! mostly made expressly for Arboricul- 

 ture from photographs taken by the ed- 

 itor, and will form a pictorial exhibit of 

 American forest scenery, which will be 

 well worth preserving. 



