Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-03-06

INDEPENDENCE, March 4, IA

INDEPENDENCE, March 4. IA.
ED. BuLLETrN-Dear Sir:-Will you
plcase permit me, through the columns of
YOUR paper, to call the attention Of the
farmers of this county to the law in force
in this State in reference to the planting
and cultivating of forest apd fruit trees.
find by frequent inquiries that the law
is not generally understood.
Section 708 on page 1913 of the new
Code reads ms follows:
"Tor every acre of forest trees planted
and cultivated for timber within the
State, the trees thereon not being more
than twelve feet apart ana Mp. IN a
healthy condition, the sum of one hun.
dred dollars shall be exempt from taxa
ton nnon the owners assessment for ten
yeats after each acre is 20 planted. For
every acre OF fruit trees so planted and
suitably cultivated within the State, the
trees thereon not being more than thirty
three feet apart and kept in a healthy
condition, the sum of fifty dollars shall
be exempt from taxation upon the own.
el's assessment, for five years after each
acre is planted"
:,;cc balance of the section refers to the
duties of the assessor
The first part "f Section 100 reads as
| follows:
'"riie Board of Supervisors may exempt
from taxation for any enc year, except
Tor State purposes, an amount not cX-
ceeding five hundred dollars for each acre
of forest trees less than three years old,
planted and suitably cultivated for tim.
Der, Or for each one fourth mile Of hedge,
or for each one fourth mile of shade trees
along the public highway, or for each
acre of fruit trees not more than three
years old, and also Il proportionate ex
eniption for each one fourth mile of hedge,
or one. fourth mile of shade trees, along
the pnblic highway"
Every man can have the benefit of the
first section above referred to; the last
section has not been acted upon by our
Supervisors.
Nearly every one you ask will tell you,
II would like grove on my farm; l
know it would be u source of profit and
pleasure to myself and children, and an
object of delight to all that behold it, but
l cannot afford the time and expense Of
starting one" Let me make rough es
innate Of the amount the State proposes
to give every man for each acre of forest
trees planted, and the cost of planting
and cultivating the same, and see how
expensive luxury an acre of timber
could be-
The taxes on the valuation in ms ii;.ss
county average about az per cent 500
on persons assessment is exempt from
taxation for ten years on each acre plant
ed. This would save u tax OF $3.50
each year. This sum placed at interest
at ten per cent would amount by COM
pounding the same for the ten years to
about $40. Thus the State practically
gives $40 for each acre of forest trees set
out
The expense Of planting l cannot of
course estimate SO accurately.
You will observe that the section above
referred to reads ''for every acre of forest
trees planted" not ransplanted only.
Should hickory nuts, walnuts, or soft ma
pie seeds be planted, and afterwards cul
tivated, the law would be complied with
A man with good team could plOw,
harrow and mark out, in spaces twelve
feet apart, an acre in a day. One man
could easily plant the same in two days
Expense of ploWing, narrowing, marking
and planting, $500 The expense of
blowing the same tvice year for four
years at So for each blowing would be
s24. Suppose man hoe among the
trees two days in a year for the four
years at 1926 per day would make the
expense for hoeiug $40. Making the to
tai expense OF blowing, narrowing, mark
ing, planting. and cultivating an acre for
four years, $40. After the fourth year
the trees will need no care.
If the above estimate is correct, need
any man say he cannot afford to plant
grove on his farm? While he is benefit
ing his home more than he can by any
other method, making it good place for
himself and family to stay, and sowing
the seed for a bountiful harvest of profit
in the future, as well as making his farm
attractive to the stranger, the State gen.
| erously offers to foot all the bills
1t would seem that the taste and pecu
MARY interest of every man would prompt
him to immediate action in this matter
without outside aid, but with the encour
| agement given him by the State believe
it the duty of every man to do something
| in this direction.
My attention was drawn especially to
this subject but few days since, while
riding over our bleak praircs in the cars.
We passed farm encircled by row Of
trees, and even at this time Of year-ev
| cry tree of course stripped Of its foliage
| the place had such q cheerful, home like
| appearance, set down in the midst of a
seemingly barren waste, that we all in
stinctively gave that farmer vote of
| thanks
never saw but one person who was
not an admirer of trees. This man would
not allow his wife or children to set out
even shrub in his yard. l wondered
at this until l became acquainted with
the man. l found his heart was just like
| his yard-barrcn. Not generous
thought was ever planted in it, or ifthere
was it never came fOrth-it rottcd in the
soil. He was always known as "old
| sour krout."
While we all love these things SO much
is it not strange that We do so little?
| Who can describe what one weeks labor
of each man in planting trees would do
| for this county in few years?
am sure if we could pass into u Rip
| Van Wrinkle sleep. and some time in the
future wake up and find all our road
sides lined with trees, and y fine belt of
timber on every farm, we would not sus-
pcct that we were in Buchanan county,
but we would undoubtedly for q moment
enjoy the illusion that We had some how
undeservedly reached that other county
sec am extending this letter to n
much greater length than intended.
cannot go into the details rs would like
l hope others will favor your readers
with information as to the best methods
of tree culture, the best varieties, where
they can be obtained, etc. write this
| article at this time for the purpose of
drawing the attention Of your readers to
the subject.
Spring is almost here. The time for
accomplishing anything in this direction
will soon come and go.
| 1t has occurred to me that the officers
of our Agricultural Society could not of.
fer premiums for more worthy object
than for the encouragement of the cult
walton Of fruit, forest and ornamental
trees, and hedge.
hope our Supervisors at their next
meeting will go to the utmost limit of the
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