Forests And Climate

At the meeting of the Washtenaw county pomological society, last Saturday, in the basement of the court house, the main subject was forestry. Other subjects were considered, fcowever. There was present an agent of the Grand River Wood Package company from Eastmanville, Mich , with an exhibit of his baskets designed for fruit. Erwin F. Smith, a gradúate of U. of M , and now engaged in Ann Arbor. under the direction of the U. S. government, in the study of peach yellows, was present, and it was announced that at the next meeting he would talk at someleneth on yellowe. He addressed the society, describing peach yellows, and asked that, if any horticulturist knew of any occurrence of the disesse in this connty, he would kindly report it at the next meetiDg. Mr. Smith has gathered a Taal amount of information on the surject, and while he doesn't yet know what causes this dii-ease, he knowg enough about it to demoliih several theoriea in regard to its origin. The disease of yellows in peaches has probably never occurred in Washtenaw county, but it has ruined the peach indastry in one important county in Michigan ; it has devastated vast peach orchards in Maryland and Delaware, and it may come tere. The society appointed a committee on statistics : J . D. Baldwin, Prof. Nichols, Jacob Ganzborn, J. J. Farshall, and J. Allmand. FRUIT EXCHAHOE. J. D. Baldwin wants a fruit exchanRe for d8po8ing of the fruit product. He told of baskets of peaches ent to a commission merchant in Detroit. Part of the baskets sold for a fair price, but the rest were wld for two-thirds less, akhough they were equally good. J. J. Parshall said that fruit exchanges worked well in the east, securing better prices. A cotnmittee composed of Prof. Nichols, J. H. Clough, Jacob Ganzhorn, and Daniel Hiscock, were appointed to secure informatioD about the methods in the east. EFFICTS OT F0RI8T8. Emil Baur had been to the forestry convention in (rand Rápida, and was boiling over with the desire to do something about our forests. He said that our University ought to have been represented in that convention. He presented a blank petition to congress praying that the public forests be withdrawn from sale and be protected. It was signed by the members present The proposed bill to accomplish thig has been approved by the greatest authority on forestry in the United States, and probably a strong pressure will be brought to bear upon congress to pass it. Prof. M. W. Har'rington read a paper entitled "Some climatal effects of forests." He was given a vote of thankg, and the paper wbs ordered sent to Cha. W. Garfield, secretary of the forestry convention, for publication. The following is a brief abstract : Prof. Harrington said that this problem is 300 years oíd, yet no universal agreement has been reached. In Germany the idea has prevailed that forests have a great influence upon climate ; but the idea that disforesting makes a general and manent change in ine cnmaie is couy contested, and the victory now incliaes toward those who believe either that no suoh change has occurred as a matter of history, or, that if it has occurred, it is due to other causes than dieforesting. In India the meteorologista claim that resulta of disforesting are local. Iu America it is more a queation of what will happen from removing the foresta than as to what has happened. There is much difiference of opinión. The general removal of the forests couid not affect the great general character of our weather. The large storms gather in the west, and depend on conditions of the whole earth or of large areas. They are beyond the changes caused by man. But it is especially in the periodic and local features of climate that the forest plays a valuable part By the covering which it gives the soil the extremes of temperature are much reduced. Just as in the Arctic regions they wear clothing to protect from the cold, and in the trópica to protect from the heat, the clothing of foresta limita the direct exposure to the radiation of the sun which givea us our hottest dys and that re-radiation ot heat into space which gives us our coldest nighta. The forest serves as a break-water to protect the residents from the action of high winds. They hold the water' which reaches them. This moiature ■ held by the foresta may have an influence on local rain storms. But the action of forests on local storms is not clear, and it affords a chance for profitable atudy. In Sweden and Norway, the removal of all the foresta would make but Hule difference in the supply of moisture. But in Germany, the action of the foreats in oonserving rain fall is more important. Michigan ia in middle latitudes, and she is well in the interior of a great continent. We may expect that she will prove sensitivo to the removal of her forest clothing. THE CREAMERT. The creamery question was again talked about a little, but most of those present thought it net of so much interest to a horticultural meeting. It was stated that a Mr. Olcutt, of Milan, wanted to start a creamery in Ann Arbor. The committees on fruit exchange and statistics vf ill meet in the court house next SaturdBy at 2 p. m. Frank Jones will appear as "Si Perkins" at the opera house Saturday evening. A. J. Sawyer says that this play is "sidesplitting." It is one of the most popular of the extravagant kind on the stage. The appearance of the country band usually creates a sensation, and "Si Perkins" with his threshing-macbine, which he sells I while addressing a camp-meeting, ie a Bight worth eeing. The plav is madeup of thriHing scènes, bright and humorous reparlee, fine music ann eo leDtrio sayings.