134 THE BALANCE OF NATURE. 



When introtlucod into a wooded rei:^ion, tlierefore, 

 the goat of course runs riot forthwith among the 

 young trees and tender saplings on the slopes and 

 terraces, and, multii)lying rapidly, soon eats down 

 the growth of underbrush in the forest district. 

 As fast as the acorns or beechnuts send up fresh 

 suckers of oak or beech, the hungry kids nibble 

 them down to the very ground ; and thus, unless 

 strong wire ring fences are made to protect the 

 copses, the forest is unable naturally to reproduce 

 itself by the gradual growth of you ug trees to 

 rei)lace their elders. In time the older trunks decay 

 and die, and then the hillsides, once covered with 

 luscious breadth of shade and foliage, are left 

 naked, exposed, and shadeless. 



Nor is tliat all. The roots of the trees, extend- 

 ing into the soil, used to bind the earth firmly to- 

 gether, and prevent it from being washed away by 

 the winter rains. But in mountain countries it is 

 a common observation that only wooded hills are 

 crowned witli earth and verdure to the top; the 

 woodless ones soon have their soil carried off by 

 storm, and sliower, and breeze, and torrent, wliich 

 leave their bare and craggy summits deeply 

 weather-beaten by the wind and rain. Once more, 

 such drv and arid hills soon lose much of their 

 power of attracting clouds and causing them to 

 discharge their fertilizing flood. Trees are the 

 great collectors of moisture ; a damp soil, shaded 



