286 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 



PARKS IN CONNECTION WITH STATE HIGHWAYS. 

 By L. H. Pammel, Botanist. 



It is generally conceded by everyone that the American people, as a 

 nation, should give more attention to the subject of recreation. With an 

 ever increasing population, the demand for recreation will become greater. 

 It is an important question how to reach the great body of our people. 

 It occurs to me that we have a rare opportunity to make use of the state 

 highways by producing small park areas at convenient distances. Dr. 

 Macbride said somewhere, "The absolute need of the milder healing in- 

 fluence of natural beauty to our eager, anxious, overworked, care-bur- 

 dened, gain-seeking, I have elsewhere found occasion to discuss." 



It is a fact that no other state in the Union, perhaps, has so large a 

 per cent of its area under cultivation as the state of Iowa. This means 

 that little land is left with free access for the people which can be used 

 for recreation purposes. The user of the public highway is quite familiar 

 with the many signs which read, "Keeip out of these premises." or "No 

 trespassing allowed." These signs admonish him that the grounds are 

 not for public use. There is good reason why the farmer or the owner 

 of a piece of woodland should object to having his land used foir public 

 purposes. It is aggravating to say the least, that private ownership is 

 often not respected. It often happens that the man or woman who makes 

 use of woodland grounds is careless about closing the gates. They often 

 break the wires of the fence and scatter paper and other litter over the 

 grounds, thus causing damage and annoyance to the owner. We all recog- 

 nize that owing to the automobile, travel on the highway has increased 

 many times. The highway in modern times is fast assuming the same 

 importance to the community that it did in the settled countries of Europe 

 before the introduction of the railway. In another decade the use of the 

 public highway by automobiles will be doubled and probably trebled. The 

 automobile is the means of bringing the people from the different scat- 

 tered communities together. Good highways, more than ever, will be used 

 for the pleasure a person will find by travel on a given highway. The 

 amount will depend on the character of the highway itself, the beauty of 

 plants, the hillside bedecked with sweet william, rose, aster, goldenrod and 

 sunflower, as well as the ornamental shrubs and timber. 



The man who wants an outing on Sunday afternoon will enjoy taking 

 his family to picnic somewhere in the woods. He will not select the 

 dusty roadside, but a nice, clean, comfortable place where the tablecloth 

 can be spread on the green sward of grass. Where can he now get this 

 in Iowa, except as he gets permission from the owner of the woods? Some- 

 times this permission is given and sometimes it is not. 



My argument, then, is this, that the state should own a small tract of 

 woodland in every county in the state, along the main state highways run- 

 ning north and south and east and west. This land need not be the mos r 

 expensive in the county. The rough land where little valleys and brooks 

 occur is just as good and perhaps better than smooth, level, prairie land. 

 It should have native timber and be sufficiently attractive for the family 

 to really enjoy its beauty. The wild flowers should be permitted to grow 

 in profusion. They add charm to the countryside in springtime, summer 



