ARBORICULTURE 



A BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE 



Published ix the Interp:st of the 

 International Society of Arboriculture 



Subscription $1.00 per annum 



Vol. VI. 



JOHN P. BROWN, Editor and Publisher. 



Entered as Second-class Matter, January 4th, 1904. 



CONNERSVILLE. INDIANA, M.\RCH, I907. 



Number 2. 



A Great Flood and a Greater Folly. 



Practical Aboriculture gives a vivid 

 description of the great flood in the Ohio 

 and other rivers during 1884 and 1885, 

 when the gauge at Cincinnati showed a 

 depth of 71 feet 3 inches, fully 60 feet 

 greater depth than the normal condition 

 at the same season in other years. 



The causes are set forth in the article 

 and methods pointed out by which such 

 floods may be minimized in the future. 

 But neither the public nor our legislative 

 bodies take interest in matters of great 

 concern unless there is political notoriety 

 to be gained by so doing, and thus, in 

 1907, we have another disastrous flood, 

 with even greater loss of property and 

 interference in business affairs in the 

 Ohio Valley than ever before. 



A repetition of this great overflow has 

 occurred in January, 1907, in which a 

 great amount of property has been lost, 



LIBRAR 

 NEW YOl 

 BOTANIC, 



QARDE^ 



At Cincinnati, on Januarv 2J. the wa- 

 ter stoQd at 65 feet 6 inches, uemg about 

 six feet less depth than the flood of 1884 ; 

 but lower down the river, from Louisville 

 to Evansville, and below the mouth of 

 the Wabash, the water was higher, and 

 greater damage resulted. 



The daily papers of the Ohio Valley 

 have been filled with details of the flood, 

 while numerous photographic views of 

 river scenes have pictured the story 

 graphically. 



Now let us see some of the causes of 

 these periodical overflows of this great 

 river. Consider the methods which have 

 been employed to increase the depth of 

 water at low tide, and their effects upon 

 waters during flood time. 



Possibly a remedy may be devised 

 which, if not preventive, may help to 

 control the stream. 



It will be understood that, one hun- 



some lives destroyed, much sickness has 



resulted from exposure while the raging dred years ago, the entire territory which 



waters surrounded homes, an incalculable comprises the water shed of the Ohio 



amount of damage dbne to farm crops. River, being two hundred square miles 



c:-s stock drowned, towns and cities along in extent, was a forest with a deep soil, 



^ the river valley flooded, navig-ation sus- having all the mosses and wild vegetation 



I pended, railway tracks flooded, stopping to retard the flow of water which per- 



®^ the shipment of freig^ht, and interfering colated through this forest verdure and 



r^ 



materiallv with commerce. 



spong"y soil, and floods occurred only 



