FORESTRY. 145 



becoming saturated. Moisture being a great equalizer of temperatures 

 an unnatural condition is engendered in our summers from a lack of the 

 normal amount of it to be evaporated. Eain can not descend upon great 

 plains that have become warm. The heat in radiating from the earth 

 warms the atmosphere, only dissipating the forming clouds, and there is 

 not enough moisture being evaporated to keep the warmer air supplied 

 with the increased moisture it is able to hold. 



Some one asks, how will trees remedy this evil in this vast country? 

 In two ways. By planting large forests and making in them true forest 

 conditions, considerable moisture is stored up in the soil, and a large 

 part of it held until the drouthy summer period is far advanced, and thus 

 given out when the air is most in need of it. Also by cooling the air and 

 acting as centers of precipitation, thus starting rainfall, which in turn 

 cools the surface on which it falls and makes it easier for rain to fall 

 from the wind next blowing that way. 



Capital, in this country, finds such great opportunities for quickly turn- 

 ing over and doubling itself, that individuals and corporations will not 

 plant forests. Farmers will plant windbreaks and patches of trees, but 

 not large forests. Capital will not even go into the work largely, of 

 caring for the second growth of our timber lands, because as yet, far 

 greater and quicker returns are realized from cutting down and making 

 into lumber the primitive forests. The only way to start trees now which 

 will make our future lumber supplies and at the same time be useful to 

 our other farming operations by ameliorating the conditions of climate, 

 is to establish an immense system of government forests. If >ane-twen- 

 tieth of the area between the Mississippi river and the Rocky mountains 

 could be planted to forests it would pay the country. In thirty or forty 

 years the wood which could be taken out annually for use would repay 

 all cost including the rent of the land, and the benefit to the country 

 through having the summer rainfall and air moisture more evenly dis- 

 tributed, would more than doubly repay the total cost. Anything the 

 state of Minnesota can do to incite the United States government to 

 vigorously take hold of the building up of a system of national forestry, 

 will be energy well spent. We must give especial attention to educating 

 the people in general upon this subject, and in educating young men to 

 be professional foresters. 



(DISCUSSION). 



Pres. Elliot: Now are there any points brought out in these 

 papers you wish to discuss? 



J. O. Barrett: I would like to make a little explanation 

 about the difference between the two kinds of ash. Now the 

 green ash, growing around the river bottoms and lakes, is not 

 a fast grower compared with the white ash, but it is a smaller 

 tree and in a few years the white ash will excel it. 



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