616 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



tree growth. Black walnut grows best in the bottoms also, but as it 

 demands primarly a rich soil, it grows well on rich slopes. Red oak is 

 a tree of the uplands, like the white oak, but demanding a moister situa- 

 tion. Honey locust and white elm are found on low lands. The remain- 

 ing species such as red maple, hackberry, bur oak, sycamore, willow 

 and cottonwood all prefer low ground. Post oak, white walnut, black 

 oak, prefer the upland slopes and ridges, while the hickories seem to do 

 well in either situation. 



Another important consideration is the light demanding or shade 

 enduring capacities of the various species, especially when coupled with 

 varying rapidities of growth in a mixed forest. A great deal of care is 

 necessary to avoid crowding out desirable light demanding species by 

 rapid growing shade enduring ones with their heavy foliage. As the 

 soil of the forest must have more or less protection, a large number of 

 heavy foliaged trees are necessary, and if they are slower growing than 

 the light demanding species, which it is desired to foster, the best interests 

 will be conserved. On the other hand if the shade enduring species are 

 valuable in themselves, the matter will take care of itself. 



The kind of seed a tree bears has a most important influence on its 

 ability to hold its own and to widen its territory. The light seed of 

 the cottonwood, aspen, maple, etc., are carried by the wind long distances 

 and wherever there is a chance for those trees to grow, their seed is 

 there in readiness. The trees that bear edible fruit have their seeds car- 

 ried by birds, as the black cherry and red cedar; but nut bearing trees 

 seem to be sadly lacking in means of dissemination. It is true that their 

 seeds are carried by squirrels, but only to be stored up somewhere and 

 eaten. Those that get a chance to germinate must do so in the immediate 

 vicinity of the parent tree. This fact must be rememberer in treating 

 an Iowa wood lot for a future supply, for the heavy seeded trees, as the 

 oaks, hickories and walnuts, are very valuable. 



The timbered land is very unequally distributed in the state, the 

 best timber being in the eastern part. It reaches out toward the west 

 by way of the rivers and does not thrive any great distances from them. 

 It also tends to become stunted and scrubby as it goes westward and is 

 unfit for many of the uses to which that grown in the eastern part is put, 

 although it is all the more valuable for firewood, fence posts and such 

 uses because of its scarcity. A wood lot even here will repay careful treat- 

 ment. Bur oak does well on the low soil of the western part. It never 

 reaches the size it does in the eastern part, but is a valuable tree and 

 one it pays to favor. 



Taking a bird's eye view of the distribution we find the eastern border 

 of the state well covered with timber, with small prairies in between 

 the streams. As we go west the timber is confined more and more closely 

 to the streams and in general decreases in size and density, which very 

 plainly shows the close relation to rainfall. 



Now as to the cutting of this small area of native timber, I have not 

 the figures to show how much has been cut. It is the greater portion, how- 

 ever, and very little of that which is once cut is allowed to go back to timber 



