230 DISCTTSSION. 



Within tlie last thirty years a vast extent of country has been 

 cleared, and the climate has not been affected by it. G-enerally 

 the rivers have as much water as ever. In the South of Europe 

 they have sown the seeds of pine-trees, and the effect has been to 

 dry up the former moisture. As for marshy places, undoubtedly 

 the treading of cattle causes them to dry up. The lagoon at 

 "Wollongong has been thus dried up. It would be right for the 

 Government to protect these places. 



Eev. W. B. Clarke said many of our rivers had not yet been 

 cleared of timber. The Murray, and other rivers had never been 

 cleared at the heads of them. But the system of ring-barking 

 was the most serious part of the question. As to the amount of 

 water, no data existed as to what it was thirty years ago ; but 

 floods are recorded to have exceeded those of the present time. 



[The debate was then adjourned to the next monthly meeting 

 of the Society.] 



The discussion on theEev. "W. B. Clarke's paper entitled " Effects 

 of Eorest Vegetation on Climate" was resumed, 6 Dec, 1876. 



Mr. C. MooBE restated the points he had previously advanced, 

 as follows : — 1. " That the dense jungle vegetation, which of all 

 others is supposed to attract and hold moisture, and which for 

 about 400 miles was so general within the coast range, has been 

 almost wholly destroyed during the last thirty years. 2. That in 

 addition to this, millions of acres of more open forest have been 

 destroyed during the same period. 3. That, notwithstanding 

 this tremendous destruction of trees, no drier climatic effect has 

 been experienced. 4. So far as my knowledge extends, the only 

 observable effect has been that in some districts in which the 

 forest has been destroyed small rivulets usually contained water, 

 but in many instances are now dry. 5. That now the larger rivers 

 of the Colony show no diminution in breadth or depth. 6. That 

 the niinfall, instead of decreasing, as might have been expected 

 from the destruction of so much forest, has been of late years 

 more regular and greater than formerly. 



Mr. W. A. Brodribb complimented the writer of the paper on 

 his able performance, and agreed with him on the main points he 

 brought forward. It was most necessary that our useful timber 

 should be preserved by legislation. The red gum was being 

 destroyed on the rivers. Then there was the pine, in the Biverine 

 country, valuable for buildings and fences, tliat should be pre- 

 served ; and there were the stringybark, the cedar, and various 

 other timbers that should be protected. He considered though 

 that our scientific gentlemen made a mistake in drawing, com- 

 parisons between the forests in the southern and northern hemi- 

 spheres. The forests in the northern hemisphere shed their 

 leaves to, the depth of twelve or eighteen inches, which formed a 



