FORESTS IN THEIR RELATION TO RAINFALL. 217 



forests on climate," which mainly repeats the instances 

 given in "The Forest" of Prof. Schacht. 



Mr. J. G. O. Tepper, an earnest writer on philosphical 

 questions pertaining to plant life, has a paper 1 which is well 

 worthy of perusal. It enumerates a number of the oft 

 quoted examples of altered climatic conditions attributed 

 to destruction of forests, and also deals with the problems 

 of physics which are involved in a proper understanding of 

 the subject. 



c. The case, "Forest Destruction Does Not Diminish 

 Rainfall. — With us forest destruction takes two forms: — 



(1) The felling, removal and "burning off" necessary for 

 agricultural and other settlement, and which many think- 

 ing men are of opinion is often carried out in too drastic a 

 manner, to the detriment of the owner of the land himself, 

 who often finds he has got rid of shelter and timber he 

 would afterwards be glad of. 



(2) Ringbarking, which is necessary to fit much of our 

 land for grazing purposes and which like (1) is undoubtedly 

 done ignorantly and recklessly, particularly, I think, losing 

 sight of the incipient creeks which are the beginnings of 

 floods and washaways. This is a very wide question which 

 I have dealt with on a previous occasion (ante page 115). 



Our Government Astronomer has given special attention 

 to the "Forests and Rainfall" subject for many years, 

 particularly with reference to Australia, and I cannot do 

 better than quote some of his published statements. 



Mr. Russell speaks, 2 in regard to forest destruction and 

 climate of "the tiny efforts of men" in the way of forest 

 destruction and the enormous quantity of felling and ring- 



1 " The influence of vegetation on climate and rainfall/' read before 

 the Royal Soc. of S.A., 3rd May, 1898 (printed by Adelaide Observer.) 



2 Letter to Sydney Morning Herald, 31 December, 1898. See also Hazen, 

 infra, page 222. 



