THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART X. G17 



as it would naturally do in most cases, first by coppice and then by seed- 

 lings. Blue-grass comes in and never surrenders its hold. The small 

 amount of timber is being wiped out at a rapid rate. Farming, and es- 

 pecially the live stock industry, is the most important in Iowa. Timber 

 was stripped off the rich alluvial bottoms because the land was valuable 

 for farming. The lumber, firewood, etc., were incidental, the main object 

 being to clear the land and raise corn, wheat and other crops. The slopes 

 and uplands were cleared for the same purpose. When not fertile enough 

 for farming purposes they still served admirably for pasture land, blue- 

 grass coming in and making a fine turf. So it was — cut down the trees, 

 let the grass in and make better pasture. And so well does blue-grass 

 hold its own that when pastured closely not many trees succeed in getting 

 back; yet if left alone such places would again be covered with trees. 



In this way the timber has been treated in the past, either clean cut or 

 else the most valuable kinds and individuals have been cut without any re- 

 gard for the future supply. The vigorous, thrifty young polewood was 

 cut; the dead, faulty and mature trees were left. The first class could 

 be gotten out more easily and found a readier sale, thus paying the expense 

 of getting the main object accompished, which was to clear the land 

 for cultivation or for pasture. It naturally followed that there was a 

 great deal of waste with this method. Timber was cut, rolled into heaps 

 and burned. Some was rolled into streams or piled up in out of the way 

 places and left to rot. As much as possible was cut and used, the re- 

 mainder destroyed in order to clear the land in a short time. Of course 

 no thought was taken of reproduction. It was not wanted. 



Thus we find the timber at the present time driven to the pasture 

 lands. There it has not been treated so roughly. The greater part that 

 has been cut has been used. It was not necessary here to remove every tree 

 as in the land intended for cultivation. It is only the trees selected that 

 has worked against the best results. In every case the young, thrifty 

 polewood was taken as it was more easily worked and found a ready 

 market, the object being to thin out the timber and get the ground grassed 

 over. Preservation or a future supply was not thought of. 



So we find the timber scattered over the pasture lands; here and 

 there a strip on a steep hillside or ravine which has not been culled so 

 severely. The remainder is rather scattered and of poor quality for all the 

 old faulty trees and those of the least desirable species are left. The old 

 trees of the desirable species are valuable in one respect, they furnish seed 

 trees. No matter how gnarled and windshaken. they serve this pur- 

 pose well. 



It is from this kind of a forest that our future wood lots are to be 

 made. Little scattered groups of timber in the natural condition, larger 

 areas of culled trees and, where not pastured too heavily, a fair reproduc- 

 tion. Unfortunately in many cases the inferior species predominate in 

 this reproduction. The inferior species are like weeds; they grow and 

 spread very rapidly when they have a chance. 



This is the condition of the timber at present. The question arises 

 how can it be improved and conserved. Does scientific forestry give any 

 40 



