44 MODEeK S-oafiST fiCONOllY. 



the soil to form temporauy streamlets, in place of sinkmg 

 into the ground to descend to the depths and rise again in 

 fertilising springs, or glides rapidly along the surface, and 

 goes to lose itself in rivers and floods. The ground above 

 becomes arid in the same proportion as the running waters 

 increase below. The full river flo wings become changed 

 into inundations, and devastate the adjacent country, 

 where immense disasters follow.' — Elisee Iteclus — La Terre. 



8. ' In the place of the fertile fields of cis-Atlantic 

 Africa, we find now nothing but plains rendered sterile by 

 desiccation and the absence of trees.' — A. Maury — Eiatoire 

 des Grande ForHs de la Gaule. 



9. 'In proportion as the ancient forests disappeared, 

 springs dried up, certain races of animals died out, and 

 winds which were previously unknown made their appear- 

 ance. The land daily loses some element of its fertility ; 

 from its bosom, which continuous mutilations devastate, 

 there come forth hosts of evils, the saddening influences of 

 which mar the enjoyment of our transitory existence.' — 

 Sauch — Regeneration de la nature vegetate. 



10. ' From Madrid to Jerusalem history and geography 

 tell the same tale: forests given up to sheep, forests 

 diestroyed ; mountains devoid of woods, mountains devoid 

 of life.' — Broiliiard — Les Massifs de Sapin et la disette de Boii 

 en Franze. 



11. ' The members of the Congress in Algiers who have 

 gone through the different provinces of the colony, have 

 been struck with the state of devastation in which they 

 have seen many of our forests. Exploited on no settled 

 system, left open and subjected to depredations by the 

 natives, desolated by frequent fires, ruined by the passage 

 of flocks of goats and of sheep, which devour the young 

 twigs and shoots, our forests are far from yielding to the 

 country the revenue which might be obtained from them j 

 it is a source of wealth not yet exploited, or exploited with 

 reckless waste, which is still worse. We have seen forests 

 of the Thuya, in which the young trees have been literally 

 annihilated by the goats.'— CAe«»ei — Genie Civil. 



