14 THE FOREST LANDS OF FINLAND. 
wood cut down, and the climate has thus been affected 
injuriously. 
‘But were any one, reasoning from this, to condemn the 
felling of woods in Finland, and this should be stopped, it 
would be found that a great mistake had been made, 
seeing that from its northern position, from its being 
nearly surrounded by sea, and from, its being studded 
with its thousand lakes, Finland has an insular and moist 
climate, and not a dry one, and therefore the moisture 
which woods are alleged to produce or retain is less neces- 
sary than in that case it would have been. And that the 
woods are not required to absorb or diminish the solar 
heat is proved, amongst other things, by the agriculture of 
the country, which, when the field is well sheltered by 
woods, seldom produces good crops or well-filled ears. 
While in Southern lands it is often recommended to the 
agriculturist to surround his fields with growing trees to 
give them shelter, here experience teaches the agriculturist 
on the contrary to remove the trees which are around the 
fields which are under cultivation. 
‘What is more especially required for the improvement 
of the climate of Finland is a reduction of the moisture 
which is in the atmosphere and the soil. And if it be so, 
there comes up in connection with this another matter, 
which in this light is seen to be of no small importance. 
So long as there is so much wood as there is, it would 
be exceedingly expensive to dry the land, and therefore, 
economically, it is impracticable to do so, From this it 
follows as a necessary consequence, that it could bring no 
climatal benefit to Finland to interdict the felling of 
forests where there is at present too much wood. 
‘This has been contradicted. It has been alleged that 
woods, while creating shade, prevent the radiation of heat 
from the earth, and thus prevent the occurrence of frost 
in a dry, clear summer night. And there is no necessity 
for any one to dispute the allegation. On the contrary, it 
may be admitted to be beyond a doubt that it is so; and 
that the coolness connected with the shade where the 
