CHAPTER V 



PLANTING FOR SHELTER 



The climate of a country is principally due to 

 causes which cannot be modified, such as the 

 distance from the equator, the prevailing winds — 

 which may be scorching, genial, or cold— and 

 to the elevation above sea-level. In addition 

 to these causes, there are some subsidiary causes 

 of climate which can be modified. Among 

 these secondary causes forests are very im- 

 portant. 



Forests, by their leaves, protect the soil from 

 the sun and from rain. They act as a covering 

 between the sun and the soil, so that during 

 the day the heat is hindered from reaching the 

 soil and at night the radiation of heat from the 

 soil is less than when the soil is unprotected. 

 The leaves also protect the soil from being 

 splashed by the rain. The dead leaves and 

 vegetation act as a sponge : they absorb a 

 considerable portion of the rain and release it 

 gradually. 



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