13 



PRACTICAL FORESTRY. 



that gives us any information relating to the clearing of 

 the earth's surface of forests for the use, conyenience, or 

 other purposes by man, show that it diminishes atmos- 

 pheric moisture more or less. In some instances this may 

 be beneficial, especially in regions where there is too 

 much rain and moisture for the convenience and pros- 

 perity of the inhabitants. For this reason, it cannot be 

 said that the destruction of forests is always to be depre- 

 cated and looked upon as an evil, for it may be a blessing 

 in more ways than one. 



The healthfulness of a country is frequently influenced 

 by the condition of the forests. It has often been claimed 

 by those who are supposed to be acquainted with such 

 matters, that the draining of sw^amps, pools, and even 

 the under-draining of arable lands, tends to increase the 

 healthfulness of a country or neighborhood. While this 

 may be true in some instances, the dispersion of what 

 may be termed surplus moisture, does not always produce 

 desirable results. 



For a hundred years or more, it has been noticed that 

 the climate of the Island of Mauritius was changing from 

 one of great humidity to one of extreme dryness, 

 which, it is claimed is due to the destruction of the great 

 forests that originally covered the country. So great 

 has been this change, that large tracts of land once 

 occupied by sugar plantations have been abandoned in 

 consequence of the severe drouths, which are of such 

 frequent occurrence that planters will no longer take the 

 risk of planting cane, while at the same time the mor- 

 tality among the inhabitants from fevers has been very 

 great, and these diseases appear to increase in severity as 

 the humidity of the climate decreases. It is quite 

 probable, however, that the fevers are due to the drying 

 up of the surface moisture, and to the stagnant pools 

 formed during the rainy season. 



When the country was covered with forests, and rains 



