4-20 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



September 



crowns of the trees break the force of 

 the rain, making it reach the ground 

 more slowly and giving it longer time to 

 soak into the earth. The litter of the 

 forest absorbs water and retards its run- 

 off, thus not only preventing erosion, but 

 giving the water further time to filter 

 into the soil. The roots of the trees bind 

 the earth together and help to prevent 

 erosion. Finally, the shade of the tree 

 canopy cuts off the rays of the sun, pre- 

 vents intense heating of the rocks, and 

 very materially lessens evaporation from 



men there do not over-pasture their 

 lands, but preserve a good grass cover, 

 and if even the present forest areas are 

 maintained, conditions may not grow 

 rapidly worse for the plateau and the 

 lowland agricultural section. Both these 

 precautions are, however, not likely to 

 be observed. Moreover, it is necessary 

 not only to maintain the present forest 

 cover, but all dry hills and rough breaks 

 should be put under forest. As such 

 work would not pay for itself directly, 

 and as it must contemplate the advan- 



CHARACTERISTIC VIEW OF THE TIMBER, MOSTLY MOUNTAIN CEDAR, ON THE EDWARDS 



PLATEAU, 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF AUSTIN. 



the forest-covered area. This is an ex- 

 ceedingly important matter in a section 

 of the country where the dry air can 

 annually remove by evaporation over 50 

 inches of free water. Thus it is clear 

 that a forest cover would not only pre- 

 vent the erosion which is constantly 

 making conditions worse, but it would 

 also hold in check vast quantities of 

 water which now run off in destructive 

 floods, and assist in storing it for future 

 gradual use in river and spring flow 

 throughout the year. 



The chief industry of the Edwards 

 Plateau is cattle-raising. If the ranch- 



tage rather of the distant farmer than of 

 the neighboring ranchman, it will never 

 be done by private means. It is dis- 

 tinctly a work for the State of Texas 

 operating under a broad policy to build 

 up its agricultural interests. 



The Bureau of Forestry, through 

 Prof. William L. Bray, has just com- 

 pleted a careful study of ' ' The Timber 

 of the Edwards Plateau ; Its Relation 

 to Climate, Water Supply, and Soil," 

 and a bulletin dealing with the results, 

 which are so vitall^ important to Texas, 

 will be issued by the Bureau at an early 

 date. 



