Show desolation IN DALMATIA in a letter from europe florence keen of philadelphia pa writes of the destruction caused by the cutting down of forests fp rests she says my interest in forests was first awakened by meeting som ro resters in germany many years ago and since then it has continually increased it you could see the desolation 1 lave lately seen you would be heart sick for poor dalmatia that country was once one of the richest of the roman provinces and during the reign of who had an immense palace there it supported a large population when it came into the hands of ahe venetian republic the trees on ts fine mountain slopes were ruthlessly sacrificed for the ships of the the soil washed away the and rivers dried up and oven ayria in its desolation does not compare with lt the attempts at cultivation by the ica are pitiful As tar as pos elble they collect the rocks and stones n great mounds on the least desirable ground of the tiny field and where hey can find among the remaining earth enough for the roots or me olavo or even one grapevine t Is planted the chief impression ven then is of a most successful rop of rocks and stones one of the ost fields of grape vines I 1 paw has ie appearance of a pebbly beach in hat neighborhood a whole family nay live for a year on the product of one olive tree so poor are they after the loss of the trees arose a wind called the bora which lows a cutting blast for many months f the year and renders reforestation imort impossible stories are told of ts overturning railroad trains and I 1 vas even told that women had to recep to market on all fours when I 1 looked incredulous my informant insisted it wa j actually true having experienced a mild bora I 1 think I 1 can bellevo it you can drive for miles in any and not see ten trees naturally grown these statements apply to the northern portion of dalma ala further south the bora is not so strong and cultivation is a trifle caster but there is no substantial difference montenegro Is about the same there the country is such a mass of mountains and the bills are so steep that the earth washed down the hill sides seems to have settled in little potholed potholes pot holes and gradually formed a space largo enough to cultivate that is i s the size of an ordinary tabac the livelihood and existence of the poor peasant calbo better imagined than described from my in italy I 1 should say that country is well on the road to the same ruin as dalma ala but they are trying now to rescue forests at present eyes can the bareness of the App enines and the muddy rivers the small size and high price the total absence of boodon houses and the various makeshifts employed in place of wood i 1 |