CHAPTER III. 



THE WEATHER AND THE STREAMS. 



The central point of public interest in forestry in the 

 United States was until recently the influence of for- 

 ests on climate. It is natural that the connection be- 

 tween the immense forests and vast plains and the won- 

 derfully various climates of this continent should have 

 awakened attention. It is a matter which is easily 

 written and talked about without an}^ thorougli un- 

 derstanding of forestry itself, and in this it differs 

 from other branches of the subject. In dealing with 

 the weather it touches a thing which affects the daily 

 life of everyone, and which, to very many, holds the 

 balance between povert}^ and prosperity. It is there- 

 fore unfortunate that so much of the writing and talk- 

 ing upon this branch of forestry has had little definite 

 fact or trustworthy observation behind it. The friends 

 and the enemies of the forest have both said more than 

 they could prove. Both have tried to establish the 

 truth of their opinions by referring to observations of 

 tempei'ature and rainfall which cover too short a time 

 to prove anything, or by hearsay and general impres- 

 sions, which are not to be trusted in such matters. 

 Such discussions make nothing clear except that the 

 pith of the matter has not been reached by either party. 

 56 . 



