16 FUTURE FORESTRY IN IOWA 



is a popular disregard of the destructive influence of grazing 

 animals in woodlots where the regeneration of the species is 

 desirable. There is little more excuse for placing stock in an 

 area of timber which is being regenerated by natural seeding or 

 by sprouts after cutting, than to place animals in a newly set out 

 plantation of trees, or in a newly planted field of corn. The 

 effect in each case would be much the same most of the young 

 plants would be killed or permanently injured. The owner of 

 either planted or native woodlots should at least protect these 

 areas entirely against stock while the young trees are getting a 

 start. Many shelterbelts have been ruined for their purpose, 

 by being pastured early in their formation. 



The fire damage to forest property in Iowa is much less than 

 in many other states. In few cases is the standing timber actually 

 destroyed, but constantly recurring fires although they be only 

 ground fires damage the forest in many ways. Perhaps the 

 greatest damage comes through the complete destruction of all 

 reproduction. In addition, the ground litter is destroyed, which 

 not only takes away the natural fertilizer but reduces the mois- 

 ture holding caapcity of the soil. It also subjects the soil to 

 erosion and excessive damage when pastured. 



Near a certain town in eastern Iowa the citizens prohibited 

 the cutting of timber on the bluff lands which extended on two 

 sides of the town. The object was to maintain these areas in 

 their natural beauty, as it was a matter of common interest. As 

 a matter of facts, fires ran through the areas annually, and, 

 although not actually consuming the old timber, the fires left 

 every tree badly scarred or " cat-faced" at the ground, and 

 naturally not a vestige of reproduction remained. This illustrates 

 one of the inconsistencies which may be met with. The people 

 in this particular locality were much concerned about saving 

 the wooded hills in their locality, but no one was at all con- 

 cerned when fires were running through the area, which would 

 in time ruin the forest much more completely than if every tree 

 were to be cut down. The difficulty, as is the case with grazing, 

 comes not so much through an intentional disregard of these 

 matters, but because the people are not generally informed. 



Another factor is working against forestry as related to tne 

 farm is tenancy. The tenant who can not look ahead even four 

 or five years in the production of annual crops and conserve the 



