408 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



above the sea is the most powerful agent at work in cansiug I'ain ; 

 when elevation combined with forests exists, the result is undoubtedly 

 in favour of a heavy rainfall. It has often been admitted that forests 

 situated on plains do not affect the rainfall. Observations are still 

 being recorded, but so far no more reliable data are forthcoming. 



Feeding of SjJringti. — Not unusual sights in Victoria are the 

 enormous gullies that are seen forming in different parts of the State^ 

 where no gully existed before. In some instances these have ruined 

 prosperous properties, burying whole paddocks in worthless silt and 

 gravel. In other places the ground, if sloping at all, has had every 

 particle of top soil washed off' it, and either hard clay is left, or an 

 impenetrable mixture of gravel and clay. Eain falling on these 

 areas runs oft' at once, causiug a rapid rise in the level of streams 

 and often floods. No moisture can penetrate the gruuud, and instead 

 of the rises and hills absorbing the moisture and allowing it to per- 

 colate slowly through the earth, it all pours oft' in a short space 

 of time, causiug devastation and often as not hiTidslips. The cause 

 of all this trouble is easy to see — deuudation of the forests. Of the 

 amount of rain falling on a forest it is estimated one-fourth is inter- 

 cepted in the crowns of the trees, and the balance falls to the ground,, 

 whei-e it is in turn soaked up by the humus, which has the property 

 of absorbing a great quantity of water and retaining it for some 

 time. Most of this water soaks eventually into the ground, and goes 

 to feed springs. That unabsoi'bed finds its way to the nearest stream,, 

 and as its progress is i"etarded, it naturally keeps the stream running 

 longer than if the water rushed down in a flood. From this it may 

 be gathered that it is absolutely necessary to ensure a steady water 

 supply, that a large area of forest should be retained on a river 

 catchment area, and in fact on all hills. Again, to protect the soil,, 

 it is necessary to retain a well-preserved forest on the slopes, for 

 where these have been water-worn, re-afforesting is a difticult matter. 

 In some places the ])rocess of re-planting has only been possible 

 after erecting dams and walls to retain the little soil that remained, 

 until such time as the young trees were strong enough to do it for 

 themselves. Forests also protect the soil on low lands, and it is 

 familiar to most sea-side residents in Victoria how enormously the. 

 shiftiiig sands on the coast are intruding since cattle and other 

 agencies have destroyed the grass and shrubs. In France, in Algiers,, 

 and in central India, vast areas of drifting sand have been checked 

 by planting forest trees. Forests also prevent disastrous air currents. 

 Cyclonic disturbances will often lay large tracts of country bare. 

 These do much damage to forests, but it is often noticed that after 

 striking a forest, the force of the cyclone is checked, and in cases of 

 severe whirlwinds, the air-current is completely broken up. 



Animal Life in Forests- 



The importance of forests as reserves for animal and bird-life 

 should not be overlooked. It is unfoi'tunate that pests in Victoria, 

 such as the rabbit, find a sure and safe retreat in the forests. But 



