The forests of the country are rapidly disappearing, especially from the higher plains and the grass-bearing slopes.

Not only is the wood cut for burning, but the cattle browse down the young growth; and a pestilent grub has of late attacked the older trees and destroyed them in great numbers.

Already complaints are heard of the greater dryness and infertility of certain localities, which I do not doubt comes from suffering the ground to become bare.

At several points I was told that the streams were permanently lower than in former years--of course because evaporation goes on more rapidly near their head waters now that the ground is bare.

But little care or forethought is exercised in such matters, however.