The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-07-29

' for the Protection OF Fruit.

o
Law for tho Prstecrion OF Fruit.
1t will be recollected by our readers,
that We urged upon the last Legislature
at an early day Of the session, the ne
cessity Of some special action for the pro-
lection of fruit Near the close ofth ses-
sion, an act was passed for that purpose;
but very few, however, know anything
about its provisions, for we do not think
the law has been published in single
newspaper in the State. 1t is true, the |
laws of the session have been published,
and generally distributed to County
Clerks, Justices of the Peace, &c And,
although accessible to every one for in
spection through those channels, but
very few persons ever take the trouble to
examine them Hence for the enlighten-
ment, and benef. Of those who have fruit
TO steal, and for those who may be thiey-
ingly disposed, we publish the law.
Wisconsin, Illinois, and other Western
States, have enacted laws for The same
purpose, and no less stringent than the
Iowa law. We hope that whoever vi.
olates the provisions of this law, will be
made to suffer its penalties to the fullest
extent
CHARTER 800.
AN ACT FOR TIE pRoTEC1loN OF FRUIT
sEcrioN !. Be Il enacted ly the Genrr.
al assembly otRe State Of Ieaa, That if
any person or persons shall miscellaneous
ly enter the enclosure OF any person and
pick, destroy or carry away apples. pears.
pesches, Plums, grapes, or other fruit of
any tree, shrub, bush Or vine, he shall be
deemed guilty Of larceny and on convic-
thereof shall be punished and dealt with
according to the provisions Of Revision
OF 1860, IN such cases made and pro,i
DEE. .z#
SEC: 6: All Acts and parts of Acts in
conflict with this Act are hereby repealed.
Approved April 9TH, 1862:
The punishment provided for in the |
Revision Of 1860, and applicable to fruit
stealing iss--when the value of the prop
erty stolen exceeds the sum of twenty
dollars, the offender is subjected to i'm
prlsonment in the .penitentiary not more
than five years; and when the value of
the property stolen does not exceed twen-
~ dollars, to fine not exceeding one
hundred dollars, or imprisonment in the
county Jail not exceeding thirty days.
Under this law, the theft of q single |
apple, peach, pear, etc., makes the tres.
passer liable TO imprisonment, or fine.
whether taken " maliciously or mischiey.
ously" This provision may be thought
too severe by some, and it might be in
the Older States, where fruit il abundant.
But here, in Iowa, where all are new be-
ginners, and experiments have "a 10
made, In order to determine what varie-
ties are best adapted TO our soil and eli /
mate, this law is none too severe.
AS we stated, among other remarks, in
our argument in favor of this law, q farm
er or amateur may have upon his trees a
lew hne pears, peaches or some other rare
fruit, which he il an xious to examine and
test when they have arrived at perfec-
tfon. Other eyes than his own have
been watching their gradually developing
beauties, aud before they are d. for use,
or worth anything 10 anybody, fences are
scaled, treea broken down and utterly ru-
ined, and the precious specimens stolen
from the pains taking cultivator