Permanent Forest Values. 



NE OF THE most accomplished writers upon 

 economic topics is Hon. E. W. Barber of Jackson, 

 Michigan. He brings to bear upon the subject he 

 discusses a wide range of observation and study. 

 In regard to the important questions of increasing 

 the amount of forest cover in Michigan, he gives the following 

 valuable counsel : 



"Whenever any portion of our country is visited by such 

 disastrous floods as those which have occurred during the 

 present winter, greater dangers from which were checked only 

 by the advent of cold waves, considerable discussion relative 

 to the protection from forests ensues. Where they are cut 

 away from the hillsides the quantity of silt carried to the 

 beds of streams is increased ; the beds- are filled up, and the 

 overflow in time of floods is greater. It is plain that filling 

 up the bed of a river causes the heights of water at flood tide 

 to increase, even without any greater quantity of water seek- 

 ing passage by the river channel. 



"Trees and underbrush growing on hillsides are serviceable 

 in checking waste of the soil and the consequent clogging of 

 streams. Forests covering a drainage area lessen the flood 

 heights of rivers by holding part of the rainfall in check and 

 causing it to pass more slowly to the streams. They also con- 

 serve the water by diminishing evaporation, and so preventing 



the absolute drying up of streams in summer. It has not 

 been demonstrated, however, that they have any influence in 

 increasing or diminishing rainfall. 



"History is cited to show the relation of forests to popula- 

 tion. For example, certain arid districts bordering upon the 

 Mediterranean sea were formerly more thickly populated than 

 at present. This is ascribed to the better climate that pre- 

 vailed when there were more forests, and, no doubt correctly, 

 the decrease of population has been attributed to the defores- 

 tation of the regions in question. 



"Again, excessive tree cutting, as in Savoy and elsewhere, 

 has allowed the rain to wash the soil from the mountain slopes 

 into the valleys, greatly to the injury of plant growth in both 

 places. It has also caused an excessive variation of stream 

 volume between sudden floods at times of rain and dwindling 

 'Streams in drier spells and seasons; but it has not been shown 

 that the destruction of trees has affected the rainfall. 



"A certain percentage of forests much larger than exists 

 in southern Michigan should be preserved by every means 

 possible. Their influence upon soil and water conditions is 

 important. They hold the soil upon the steep slopes ; they 

 prevent erosion in hill lands underlaid with impenetrable sub- 

 soils; they prevent the formation of shifting sands to check 

 the rapid, superficial flow of water, and thus also prevent the 

 formation of destructive torrents, with the consequent sanding 

 over of fertile valley lands ; they check the filling up of rivers 

 with debris, and, therefore, diminish danger of floods. Also, 



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