8 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. (VoL. VIII. 
sistant professor of forestry, New York State College of Forestry, Cor- 
nell University : “ The President of the United States can withdraw from 
sale or entry, and set apart by proclamation, parts of the public domain. 
These are called forest reservations. Presidents have used this power - 
freely, so that the area reserved, including national parks, approximate 
in round numbers to 50,000,000 acres. These reservations are set aside 
for three important purposes—first, the preservation of the timber ; 
second, the preservation of natural curiosities and extraordinary scenery ; 
and, third, for the conservation of the water supply.’ (Comments, Intro- 
ductory Notes, chap. i.). 
“The forest and water problems are perhaps the most vital internal 
questions of the United States.” (President Roosevelt, part iii., “ The 
Industrial Importance of Forests.”) 
“ How foolishly men destroy the forest cover without any regard to 
consequences, for thereby they rob themselves of wood and water!” 
(Humboldt). 
My remarks on this subject are more extended than was at first con- 
templated, but as my conclusions as to the effects of deforestation on 
the rain and snowfalls were questioned when I read my second paper in 
1894, I consider I am justified in quoting some authorities in support of 
my statement. Mr. Stupart, the Director of the Meteorological Obser- 
vatory, Toronto, has given some attention to this subject, having read a 
paper on February 22nd, 1896, on the rain and snowfalls at stations in 
all the great lakes, whilst my observations were limited to the records of 
the Observatory at Toronto. Many of the stations referred to by Mr. 
Stupart were established since 1874, when the meteorological service 
was inaugurated, though observations have been made since 1840. At 
the conclusion of his paper Mr. Stupart remarks that, “ Meteorologists 
have so far been unable to prove that terms of excessive rainfall, or the 
contrary, are periodical.” Also, “ We can understand that we are dealing 
with a very complicated subject, and that observations during a long 
period of years will be necessary to unravel the mystery.” On February 
28th, 1896, Mr. Stupart wrote: “I shall continue the investigation, and 
hope to get at the truth one of these days.” We have the correct ob- 
servations made at the Meteorological Observatory, Toronto, from 1840 
to 1902, and from these observations there can be only one conclusion, 
that there has been a diminution of rain and snowfalls of 3.147 inches— 
the difference between the average for sixty-two years and fifty years, 
1.303 inches, may be explained that the first period of seventeen years 
was that of the highest average rain and snowfalls recorded, vzz., 36.940 
