IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 197 



developed valleys which have been cut down into the Des 

 Moines stage of the Carboniferous. Nearly everywhere 

 along the brow .of the bluff are exposures of limestone of 

 the Missourian stage. Sandstone of the Des Moines stage 

 is found in the eastern part of the county. The hill slopes, 

 and ridges lying near the larger streams are loess-covered; 

 the prairies are covered with a dark, black loam. 



On the hills and clay ridges grow the white and black 

 oaks, the ironwood and the hickory. The basswood and 

 the bur oak flourish on the lower slopes; the ash, the elms, 

 the buckeye, the walnuts, and the hard maple on the bot- 

 toms. Along the river banks are found the box-elder and 

 soft maple, the cottonwood and the willow. The hazel, the 

 plum, the crab apple and the haw may be found every- 

 wiiere. 



In spite of the fact that the primeval forest is nearly 

 exhausted, the timber area has increased to a considerable 

 extent since the first advent of man in 1846, 



After the prairies were broken out no more fires swept 

 over the country, keeping the timber confined to a narrow 

 strip along the streams. Thus within the last forty years 

 there has developed what is known as "second-growth" 

 timber, which is found growing on the outskirts of the 

 original timber area. 



At present not many large trees are left standing, and 

 these are rapidly disappearing. Since the fencing is done 

 almost entirely with wire, only fence posts are in demand. 

 These posts are made principally from second-growth 

 white and bur oak. Wood for fuel is still quite plentiful, 

 yet it is diminishing at a rapid rate. 



What will be the outcome of the forest conditions of 

 Madison and other counties of Iowa? Will the hills and 

 valleys be stripped of the clothing nature intended they 

 should have, or will man awake to his folly and cease 

 destroying the forests without replacing them? This is a 

 question worthy of intelligent consideration. The prob- 

 lem of forests has been solved in some of the European 

 countries, especially in Germany 



