Hearings Before the Committee on Agriculture on Bills Having for Their Object the Acquisition of Forest and Other Lands for the Protection of Watershe (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1909 edition. Excerpt: ...the money unless convinced of the necessity and wisdom of the plan proposed. So long as there is apparently some easier and simpler plan, some panacea, no matter how nebulous or unproven, that offers a way out without the expenditure of so much cold cash, they will be backward in voting money, and the counsel of the engineer will be of no avail, 0 Possibly the author is too positive in this opinion. He finds that, in one case at least, the city of Williamsport, Pa., reputable engineers have advised reforestation of mountain slopes as a protection against floods. The statement of "an eminent authority" was cited with approval to the effect that "four-flfths of the precipitation is detained by the surface of the ground" under forest oever. But here, as in all these assumptions, the rule applies only to the average condition. The point is overlooked that in periods of heavy precipitation the retentive capacity of the forest bed becomes exhausted. If the city of Williamsport is relying upon this advice it is certainly laying up for itself a season of repentance. Hence the complete divorcement of forestry from any connecting m, -]J, . regulation--so far, at least, as Its effect upon the cost of such reeXnTM, 1/ er cerned--will be a distinct and positive gain to the latter. suiition is con In the second place, forestry will be left to wort out its own salvation wirhnnfany reference to the rivers. Will not its cause be promoted by this divorcement? At first thought it may seem that thereby one great argument for for estry is lost; but no argument can be of value in the long run that is not based upon truth, and the disappointment that is certain to result in the fulfillment of these hopes will do more harm than good. Forestry...