58 Canadian Forestry Journal. 



rivers of the Dominion. Many thousands of dollars worth of 

 crops and other property are destroyed by overflows and floods 

 and many more by the droughts which one Province or another 

 suffers yearly — all or nearly all of which would be avoided if 

 the water supply of the country were properly regulated ; and 

 the conservation and management of the forest is the only 

 agency available to this end. 



The tempering effect of the forest on the farm need only 

 be mentioned. By modifying the velocity and temperature of 

 strong winds a great reduction is brought abovit in the protected 

 fields. We plant wind-breaks about our orchards and out- 

 buildings to secure shelter and thus temper the hot winds of 

 summer and the cold blasts of winter. An extension of this 

 system to the fields would greatly increase the yield in crops. 

 The increased moisture which forest protection affords because 

 of the decreased evaporative power of the winds, the velocity 

 of which has been reduced by passing through forest, is very con- 

 siderable. It is estimated that a foot in height of forest growth 

 will protect one rod in distance, and a succession of tree planta- 

 tions would very materially increase this protective power. 

 The forest tempers the farm, too, by preventing deep freezing 

 of the soil and shortening the cold of winter. 



Whether or not the forest may increase the water fall over 

 the adjacent area is still a question open to discussion, but 

 no one doubts that by transpiration, the moisture near forests 

 is greatly increased and vegetation thus beneficially affected. 

 But even if no increase is admitted in the rainfall because of 

 forest influences the availability of whatever does fall is greatly 

 increased by a forest growth properl}^ located. In forests the 

 water percolates through the soil most thoroughly and the snow 

 fall is caught by them and melted so graduall}^ as to be subject 

 to little waste. Larger amounts of water are, therefore, held 

 bv the forest soil and sink deeper into it than into that of the 

 open fields. The sun and wind, the great moisture-dissipating 

 agents, not having full play in the forest, the conservation of 

 moisture is much easier than elsewhere. The water supply 

 available in the soil is thus increased 50% scientists tell us. 

 Increased percolation and decreased evaporation afford large 

 quantities of moisture to feed the springs and sub-soil waters 

 and these are finally made available to the growing crops in 

 times of extreme drought. 



The forest as well as watering, tem.pering and protecting 

 the farm supphes it with much useful and valuable material. 

 Those who have to purchase coal at big prices know how it eats 

 into the year's revenues. Once estabHshed the wood-lot pro- 

 perly handled will reproduce itself and supply in reasonable 

 proportions not only the fuel but much of the timber and lumber 



