PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 277 



The preservation of beauty spots for recreation and pleasure comes 

 from no one class, but from all of our people. We spend large sums of 

 money to create artificial parks for this very purpose, why not preserve 

 the natural parks which are scattered all over our state, unfortunately 

 in constantly diminishing extent? The areas best suited to the purposes 

 herein discussed are usually not well adapted to agriculture, and could 

 be used much more profitably for other purposes. Moreover, it is not 

 necessary, it is not desirable, that we cultivate every acre of land simply 

 because it can be cultivated. Our homes are not restricted to places and 

 provision for eating and sleeping, and our lives are not given only to 

 money making. Why should we destroy every vestige of natural beauty 

 in our state simply because someone may make a few more dollars? 

 Why not turn our parks into fields and vegetable gardens, and our street 

 and roadsides into cabbage patches? Why not use the front yard for 

 onion beds, and grow cabbages in flower pots in doors? Surely we can 

 afford to use a little of our state for other than money-making purposes! 



There are, however, other good reasons for conserving some of our 

 areas besides the twot given. 



Our most attractive scenery is in the vicinity of streams and lakes, 

 and in such situations our reservations would be chiefly made. They 

 would there serve not only the purposes already noted, but by the pre- 

 vention of erosion, and of the washing of miscellaneous materials into 

 the water, and by the exclusion of stock, our streams would be rendered 

 free from pollution, a matter of great importance when we consider the 

 extent to which such waters are used by our cities and towns. The 

 latter must also contribute their share by keeping all sewage out of our 

 lakes and streams. 



The prevention of erosion, accomplished by permitting vegetation to 

 grow unhindered along the bluffs, would avert the silting up of the 

 streams and lakes which interferes with other uses of such bodies of 

 water. 



One of the most important considerations in connection with the conser- 

 vation of our waters is usually passed over lightly. This is the need of 

 a source of supply of moisture for the atmosphere. Moisture in the at- 

 mosphere is fully as essential to plant welfare as that in the soil. -Our 

 atmosphere is very dry, especially during the average summer. Even 

 heavy dews assist materially sometimes in saving a crop, when they 

 come during such a period. Not only does the vicinity of streams and 

 lakes feel this influence, but vapor rising from such bodies of water is 

 beneficial to all the territory. The amount may not always be great, but 

 where we so easily reach a danger line even that little may be of great 

 value. We should not cut down the possible source of supply of moisture 

 to the atmosphere by draining our lakes. The drainage of our lakes 

 should not be considered from the standpoint of the engineering possi- 

 bility in any particular case. This is not primarily an engineering prob 

 lem, but one which has to do with atmospheric moisture, and its sola 

 tion should not be left to the engineer. It is sometimes urged that cer- 

 tain lakes have become foul, and hence should be drained. Usually this 

 is the result of permitting cattle to enter the waters. Nothing is so fatal 

 to plant life in water as stock. Plants die quickly where stock wades 



