114 THE FOREST LANDS OF FINLAND. 



wood cut down, and the climate has thus been affected 

 injuriously. 



' But were any one, reasoning from this, to condemn the 

 felling of woods in Finland, and this should be stopped, it 

 would be found that a great mistake had been made, 

 seeing that from its northern position, from its being 

 nearly surrounded by sea, and from its being studded 

 with its thousand lakes, Finland has an insular and moist 

 climate, and not a dry one, and therefore the moisture 

 which woods are alleged to produce or retain is less neces- 

 sary than in that case it would have been. And that the 

 woods are not required to absorb or diminish the solar 

 heat is proved, amongst other things, by the agriculture of 

 the country, which, when the field is well sheltered by 

 woods, seldom produces good crops or well-filled ears. 

 While in Southern lands it is often recommended to the 

 agriculturist to surround his fields with growing trees to 

 give them shelter, here experience teaches the agriculturist 

 on the contrary to remove the trees which are around the 

 fields which are under cultivation. 



' What is more especially required for the improvement 

 of the climate of Finland is a reduction of the moisture 

 which is in the atmosphere and the soil. And if it be so, 

 there comes up in connection with this another matter, 

 which in this light is seen to be of no small importance. 

 So long as there is so much wood as there is, it would 

 be exceedingly expensive to dry the land, and therefore, 

 economically, it is impracticable to do so. From this it 

 follows as a necessary consequence, that it could bring no 

 climatal benefit to Finland to interdict the felling of 

 forests where there is at present too much wood. 



' This has been contradicted. It has been alleged that 

 woods, while creating shade, prevent the radiation of heat 

 from the earth, and thus prevent the occurrence of frost 

 in a dry, clear summer night. And there is no necessity 

 for any one to dispute the allegation. On the contrary, it 

 may be admitted to be beyond a doubt that it is so ; and 

 that the coolness connected with the shade where the 



