140 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



mcnt for the preservation and increase of forests on the public domain 

 are varied. The following are fair samples : 



Establish a forestry department under the Commissioner of Agricul ture, into dis- 

 tricts of 5 to 10,000 acres. Place over each district one tolerably well versed in botany 

 and general forestry, an educated person, who must reside on the land and devote his 

 entire time and attention to his district. Ten or twenty of these districts to be under 

 the supervision of one person, also educated in forestry, who shall report directly to 

 the forestry department. In these different districts all timber grown should be 

 manufactured in saw-iniils, &c, on the land, first, for the use of the Government; 

 secondly, for sale to the public ; and make these forests not only self-sustaining, but 

 a large revenue to the Government could be realized. 



When the Government disposes of timber lands it should retain one-sixth of every 

 section, thereby preventing the timber from being cut off. Then let Congress enact 

 laws exempting exclusively timber lands from taxation, thereby holding out induce- 

 ment to the owners to keep their lands in timber. The General Government might 

 purchase portions of timber lauds and hold them as such. 



Institute a forestry department for the management of timber lands, under condi- 

 tions of tree-planting, and forbid the cutting of timber under certain size. The debris 

 of all trees felled should be cleared off, to guard against fires. 



Organize a forestry commission, as is done in some of the European Governments, 

 putting the forestry interests of the country in the hands of men competent to super- 

 intend and manage them successfully. 



IOWA. 



From the very large number of replies to circulars received from the 

 regular correspondents of the Department and from private individuals, 

 a pretty fair condition of forestry in the State has been obtained. 



In compiling this abstract from these reports it is estimated that 23 

 to 25 per cent, of tbe area of the State was once in original forests, and 

 consisted principally of oak, ash, elm, black walnut, hickory, cherry, 

 and other minor varieties of the hard- wood species, together with birch, 

 pine, maple, linden, poplar, and cotton wood, of the soft-wood varieties; 

 the latter growing mostly on the banks of the rivers and smaller streams, 

 and the former on the ridges. 



Forty per cent, of the native forests has been cleared off and the 

 greater portion of that remaining has been culled of the best timber, so 

 that some of the varieties have almost entirely disappeared. That 

 which is left is of inferior quality, and in consequence of this large 

 numbers of mill-men are moving their machinery, while others are look- 

 ing to other sources for supplies. In proof of this statement there is a 

 falling off of 35,448,459 feet of boards and other sawed lumber in 18S3, 

 compared with the preceding year. In a State so rapidly developing 

 as Iowa it is not presumable that this decrease is attributable to any 

 decreased demand, from the fact that in many reports the correspond- 

 ents append this note : " Mill stopped." 



The clearing of the forests has been for lumber, fuel, manufacturing, 

 agricultural, and domestic purposes, and for railroad ties in some por- 

 tions of the State. When clearings have been made for purposes of 

 agricultural development much timber has been wasted. 



The introduction of coal as fuel has diminished the demand for wood 

 for that purpose to a large extent, and the system of wire fencing, 

 which is being adopted in many sections of the State, will diminish the 

 demand for fencing purposes. 



On lands where the timber was cleared off and left undisturbed a new 

 and promising growth has sprung up which will largely supply the de- 

 mand. In some counties the mania for hoop-poles has played havoc 

 with young hickory and white oak. The amount of young timber grow- 

 ing naturally, including old fields that have been turned out, is esti- 

 mated at about 25 or 30 per cent, of the original forests. 



