The Woods, the River, and the Bain 41 



times during the winter. Toward spring the 

 plowed land is deeply frozen and the earth there 

 is mixed with frozen water from half-thawed 

 snow. Freshets are caused by spring downpours, 

 or by deep snow melting quickly upon such land 

 as this. There is no sponge of moss and mold 

 to soak up water from the melting snows and the 

 spring rains. It rushes over the ground, and as 

 it goes it carries with it a little of the surface soil. 

 These grains of earth and sand scraping along 

 the ground soon scour up more soil, and perhaps 

 some tiny stones. These help the earth and water 

 to dig still deeper. 



After rain has fallen heavily on cleared and 

 sloping land, we can see a number of channels, 

 joining together as they go down. Along these 

 the rain runs quickly into the nearest brook or 

 river, instead of soaking gently through the earth 

 to nourish the roots of plants and to feed the 

 springs. It may be that twenty-four hours after 

 rain has ceased to fall nearly all the water has 

 run into the rivers, leaving the fields almost as 

 thirsty and the springs as low as before. 



But the trouble is not only that the rain water 

 leaves places where it would do good, but it goes 

 to places where it does harm. 



When so much water is added to the rivers 

 suddenly, they rise and overflow their banks. 

 Cities on the banks of the Ohio River, for in- 

 stance, sometimes suffer great trouble and expense 



