THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART X. 615 



The production of new substances from the waste of many of the 

 present processes will increase the value and add to the productiveness 

 of our forest products. As our knowledge of the chemical processes con- 

 nected with the forest reaches a larger sphere, the tree will mean more 

 to us. One will not look upon a tree as the means of obtaining so much 

 cord wood or so many feet of lumber. The commercial value will be 

 considered only a part of the value of the tree. The work of the tree 

 as it aids to prepare oxygen from the expired air of animals and its re- 

 lation to the atmosphere in general will be regarded as important as its 

 value for producing technical products. On the whole mankind will be 

 the better in every way for viewiDg the products of nature from many 

 sides. It will be a part of man's education in ord^r that he may be capable 

 of viewing nature from many sides, and the product will be a many 

 sided man useful in every way as growth is made to meet the demands 

 made upon him. 



THE FARM WOOD LOT. 



E. R. Hodson. 



The amount of timbered land in the state of Iowa is given as thirteen 

 per cent in a recent report of the United States geological survey. Of 

 this area a large amount, in its present condition is almost worthless as 

 timber land. Iowa is pre-eminently a prairie state. The timber area 

 is of minor importance both in extent and quality. Despite this fact, 

 however, there is some fair timber in the state. In the eastern part and 

 extending westward along the rivers are some fine bodies of native 

 hardwoods. Reproduction readily replaces the old trees, especially is this 

 the case since settlement has restricted the prairie fires which formerly 

 ravaged the country and drove all the tree growth to the banks of the 

 streams, in some cases wiping it out completely. These fires coupled with 

 a small rainfall did much to give the main part of the state the present 

 treeless aspect. 



The forest is practically hard wood. There is an occasional red cedar, 

 scattered groups of white pine in northeastern and eastern Iowa, and a 

 small group in Hardin county. With these exceptions we may say that 

 the forest is exclusively a hardwood forest. 



In comparing the hardwoods with those east of the Mississippi river 

 we find some important trees missing. The beech, chestnut and yellow 

 birch are left out. Our birches — the paper, cherry and red birch are 

 small and hardly ever reach a large size. 



The oaks are the most valuable of the native timber. White oaks 

 head the list, then comes black walnut, hard maple, the hickories, etc. 



White oak and hard maple make their best growth in different situ- 

 ations; white oak on upland slopes and ridges; hard maple on bottom 

 land, although hard maple will grow on moist slopes and should be 

 encouraged to grow there as the rich alluvial bottoms are too valuable for 



