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Forests and Floods. 



F. M. Andrews. 



The relation wbich forests bear in many ways to tlie flow of rivers is a 

 question of tbe utmost importance to the whole country. When one 

 observes what has been and still is being done in most parts of the United 

 States toward forest destruction it seems strange that the people, as a 

 whole have been so slow in waking up to the seriousness of the situation. 

 Only within very recent years is the public beginning to realize that the 

 forests are vanishing rapidly and that they are confronted liy a serious 

 problem. They have destroyed the vast forests of this country apparently 

 with no thought or regard for the consequences. Now they are beginning 

 to reap the reward of their shortsightedness in a score or more ways. 

 Chief among the results caused by the continued removal of the forests is 

 the frequent recvurence of floods which become more and more destructive. 

 There have been and perhaps still are some people who believe that the 

 forests are inexhaustible. How such belief can exist at the present, in 

 view of such evident disappearance of forests everywhere is very surpris- 

 ing. A less commendable attitude than this apparent ignorance is the 

 positi('n some assume that there will be timber enough in the country 

 during their lifetime and that therefore they need not concern themselves 

 as to the future. A great service, howcAer, for the preservation of our 

 forest.s and their proper management has been performed by the admirable 

 work of the Forestry Department of the United States Government. Excel- 

 lent work also has been rendered by the various forestry schools of the 

 different institutions and by farsighted individuals the country over who 

 have seen the impending dangers and have endeavored by means of educa- 

 tion and b.A- timely counsel and advice to avert the dii"e consequences 

 resulting from thi' wholesale destruction of the forests. 



Within recent years special and important studies have been made in 

 order to ascertain to what extent the flow of various streams is dependent 



