FORESTS AND CLIMATE.

Otago Witness, Issue 929, 18 September 1869, Page 10

FORESTS AND CLIMATE.

(Wolsall News, June 26th.)

It is now pretty well-known that woods and forests of leafy trees promote rainfall, and nourish the flow of springs and rivers ; but it is not so well-known that trees of the kind described by the Germans as Naddhofo — needlewood — produce the contrary effect. Thai; suoh is the fact, however, appears from a statement which will be read with interest by owners of waste lands. The forest of St. Amand, situate in the north of the district of Valenciennes, comprising 1 800 acres of ailicious ! sand mixed with a small quantity of clay, was formerly covered with sorub and 1 stunted clumps of oak and birch, and, being in places very damp, was much haunted by snipes. In 1843, this unproductive growth was cleared off, and Scotch firs {Pinus sylvestria) were planted. These throve well, and are now tall, handsome trees adorning the waste. But during their growth it was observed that the damp places became dry ; the snipes abandoned tho locality ; then two or three springs and a small stream that onoe flowed through tho covert dwindled away, and at last entiroly disappeared. Hero was a surprise ! The forestal functionaries set to work to discover, if possible, the explanation. They dug trenches six feet deep on the site of the springs, and made borings to greater depths. The trenches disclosed no appearance of water, but showed that tho roots of the firs, as also those of the former oaks and birches, had penetrated six feet or moro into the soil. By tho borings, two underlying beds of water, one of considerable volume, were discovered ; and the natural inference was that thoy had formerly stood at a higher level, and thereby maintained the springs ; but in what way their level had been lowered by tho growth of tho firs was a question which could not then be answered, nor has a satisfactory answer yet been arrived at. The faot, however, romains that trees included among the Pinus tribo exert a desiccating influence on tho soil ; and in tho diaenssion occasioned by what has taken placo in tho forosfc of St. Amind, it has bcoa mentioned that many of tho lagoons on tho south-west const of Franco havo been driod up and convortod into woods by planting th-i maritime pino oloug thoir margins aud advanoiug tho plant' ing as tho waters receded. Is thore anything in thcao foreign facts that oin <>o turned to account hero at homo? In tlio recently published report of tho commission appointed to inspect fortifications, nn account wa* given of tho excoodmg rlitTictilty tho builclors had in findiug a solid foundation for tho forts at tho marshy month of tho Mcdway, and on tho appronch.es to Chatham. Deop oxoAva'ions wcro dug, bnt! c r a long timo whatovor was buif t showed a tendenoy to sink down out of sight ; and «yon now that tho forts do uproar their faces their stability is not absolute. Rightly do tho nntivos of tho dwtriot name tho rivor tho " Modway." But if the marshy shores of Gancony o*n bo driod up by plantations of pino trees, oannot the i»mo bo done on tho marshy shores of Kent ? If it oaa, tho benefit will be manifold. The ground will ba made firm and dry, ague will disappear, tho country within will be sholtorcd, and tho landscape will look loss dntary than at present, to say nothing of the gain in timber.

Pokkk Sicarpk «(iys Mi wife is equal to flva « fulls"~beauti-ful, dutl-Jful, urm-ful, youth* ful, and vK'tvl