35 



CHAPTER V. 



DESTRUCTION OF FORESTS ADMITS NO ADEQUATE 

 COMPENSATION. 



The destruction of our forests began with the earliest settlement, 

 Tvhen our forefathers first landed on the Atlantic coast. They must 

 clear the trees from the land in order to grow crops for food, and there 

 was no way the ground could be cleared so cheaply and quickly as by 

 fire. This method was adopted, and no effort whatever was thought 

 necessary to confine the fire to the little farm, but the destroying ele- 

 ment was allowed to burn Itself out. They believed the forests were 

 inexhaustible, and there was formed the habit in America of destroy- 

 ing the forests. Notes of warning have been frequently sounded by 

 thoughtful, observing men, in the past thirty years, that the supply 

 of lumber would soon be exhausted, unless greater care be exercised 

 in preventing waste, especially by fire, and that a tree should be planted 

 for every one removed or destroyed. Thus the impression Is held by 

 many that the commercial value of the forests alone is to be considered, 

 when in point of fact, the loss to the agricultural interests, especially 

 in the arid and sub-arid regions is far greater than could possibly be 

 from a commercial standpoint. Many substitutes are found for the 

 uses to which lumber is put, but the certain diminution of the rainfall 

 following the destruction of the forest covering, means the failure of 

 crops. The mountains covered with trees and brush are the natural 

 and best conservers of water, but denuded, are a dangerous factor. 

 While the rain fall will be much less, it will descend in torrents, but 

 little remaining to percolate into the mountains to supply our springs 

 for irrigation. There are so many illustrations of this, that nearly all 

 agree to it. 



