194 FOREST PLANTING. 



spring, the snows cover much longer than the bare 

 soil would do, contributing, in this way, much to the 

 most desirable effect of wooded mountains, viz., the 

 retarded melting of the snow accumulated there during 

 the winter. 



B. Regulation of the Rivulets and Brooks in the 

 Mountains. 



Much more difficult is the regulation of the little 

 rivulets, brooks, streamlets, etc., which originate in the 

 mountains, run down in cavities and, uniting with other 

 running waters, form, during heavy rains, torrents which 

 undermine their banks and carry away the best ingredi- 

 ents of the mountain soil into the valleys. In such 

 case, the first step to be taken must be to secure the 

 banks of these little waters against the eroding force of 

 the current by planting deep-rooting trees and shrubs 

 upon them as near to the water front as possible. The 

 elm, ash and alder are, on such places, quick growers and 

 will soon be strong enough to protect the banks against 

 further incursions. The next thing to be done is to 

 break the force of the downward-running waters by 

 opening furrows at proper distances apart, commencing 

 as higli upward as is necessary, or by constructing dams 

 or dikes across the beds, grooves or ravines. 



With exceptions such as are quite apt to be required 

 by local conditions, the following are the main rules for 

 properly selecting and locating the means of checking 

 the rapidity of mountain waters. Upon a slope of fifteen 

 yards descent in the one hundred (i. e., 15 per cent.) the 

 water flows pretty quietly for fifty yards, then it begins, 

 according to the inequalities and the resistance of the 

 soil, to carry away the earth, showing by this the first 

 point of defense. If the ground is compact, there is 



