Science To The Front

Manchester Enterprise: - For the past flfly years or more, our writers and lectureis on cliniatology and kindred subjects have been agreed.that the wholesale destruction of our forests was the cause of our excessive drouths, and the lack of liumidity iu earth and air could be traeed to tüe want of sbade, cansed by the loss of growiug tiinber, and the public Was warued that if Ihis destruction of our forest growth coutinued, but a few years would elapse before our now fruitful fields would be changed to an arid waste, and that animal lite could not be sustained. As a compensation for the necessary cutting of so inany niillion feet of tiuiber aunually, to meet the demanda of trade and commerce, Uiese same scieutists have urged that a general system of.tree planting be estabhshed. Our Michigan agricultural college has been foremost iu propagating tuis idea, until every one iu the state thought he must plant more trees. Perhaps ruoie trees were plauted duriug the past year than ever beiore siuce the state was flrst settled. Now, if ït be truc. as thuse men of science aver, (and who ever found one of them mistaken?) that the cutthig and removing trees from the earth causes drouth, then, to my mind, the setting out trees will cause raiufall or "wet weather," and if too many are planted, our beautiful country will become a vast swamp or morass, inhabited by crawling, slimy reptiles, aud the atmosphere reekiug with poisouous vapors. Now, if the premises be correct judgiug from the excessively wet time we have had for the past few months, are there not too many' trees planted or now standing? I am informed Ihat iusomeparts of Monroe and Leuawee counties it has been so set that barefoot children are growing web-footed. The tree-planting haseviJently been overdone, and we must begin to cut down trees rather than plant more. Having elder bushes and willows on my premises, I have caused them to be removed. Iu other neighborhoods there are elders that should be cut, besides willows, water elm, and other useless trash. I hope the agricultural college will take this matter in hand and try, by the cutting and setting of trees to arrive at the happy medium, neisher too wet nor too dry.