Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-06-15
FORESTS and FLOODS
Is Planting Trees Essential
to Save Middle States
From Destruction?
DIRECTOR SAGE THINKS NOT
He is, as Usual, Optimistic, and Tho
There Is Prospect of an Era of Great
Floods, Has Unshaken Faith in Iowa
and Her Resources-PopuIists in Pit
liable Condition.
ecial TO Times-Republican.

Special TO Times-Republican
Des Moines. June 15.--The good peo-
pie of Des Moines who are suffering
because of the excess of moisture which
has prevailed this year should become
careful readers of the reports Of the
weather and crop bureau and take
heart from the encouragement there
given. In the next issue of the month
ly review of the weather reports. Di-
rector Sage will give a dissertation on
drouths and floods, and indicate some
thing of what science is showing as t..
the general nature of climate in this
part of the country. Mr.. Sage is al
ways an optimist and never more so
than in abnormal seasons. Two years
ago when the state was drying up
with heat and lack of moisture, Mr..
Sage was saying all along that the crop
of that year would be worth an Inn
mensa sum-and he was right This
year he cannot offer as much in the
way of hope for the crop, but he can
give good advice to those who feel
the prospect of an era of great floods.
Neither does Mr. Sage believe 1t neces-
sary to rush to any extreme in the mat
ter of trying to combat the forces of
nature or change the current of af-
fairs. In regard to forestry, while he
is believer in tree planting, he would
not agree that the planting of trees is
essential to save this midland region
from destruction.
while giving due credit to the for
ests for beneficent effects in the reten-
ton of portion of excessive rainfall"
says Mr.. Sage, 1--WE must also recognize
the fact that the deeply titled soils
and subsoils of these western prairies
perform the same good office in "a larger
measure, because they possess greater
storage capacity, than the average for
est areas. In this section the floods
have never invaded the valleys to any
considerable extent, until the deep SOIL
subsoil and drift deposits had been fill
ed down to the imperyious bed rock
So it may be proven quite readily that
the mulched and moss-carpeted forests
of the rocky hillsides, mountains and
valleys of the east do not possess near
ly as much storage capacity for mois-
ture as an equal area of we'll cultivated
tile drained farming lands in Iowa. 1t
is a subject of general remark by peo-
Pile from abroad, as well as residents of
this section. that these we'll titled fields
possess Il marvellous quality for with
standing both drouths and floods. and
the reason is obvious. The storage ca
pacaity of the soil and the immense de-
posts of humus afford a large measure
of immunity from i'll effects of drouths
which would ruin the crops on the
lighter soils of the east. With fair
supply of moisture at the outset of the
season, it has been found possible in
this state to grow and ripen good
crop of corn with less than one-third
of our normal rainfall for the crop
season"
The condition of the so-called pop
ulist rarty of Iowa, is indeed pitiable at
this time. Chairman Norman, of the
central committee, is looking for 1t
and wants to advertise for it IN some |
way that he thinks will enable him to
reach it, hence he has published the
following, with suggestion as to proper
newspaper to be regarded as the organ
of the PARTY: iowa Peoples Party
Your Chairman of the Iowa Peoples
party state central committee wants the
names of our Iowa populists and asks
the postmasters and friends in Iowa to
send us names and postoffice address
of worthy populists. We kindly ask
the Register and Leader to copy this
notice and let stand for one week
Friendly papers please copy. j. II. NOT
man, Abba, Iowa"
A politician from the northeast part
of the state makes the following state
ment to the T.-R. correspondent as 10
the situation in the Fourth district as
to the canvass for delegates on tne
state SUPPLEMENTARY:
",rhere have been numerous mis-
statements sent out in regard to the
situation and it is evident there is
being carried out we'll laid plan TO
have the district misrepresented. rive
counties have held their conventions
in the district. The Chickasaw county
indorsed the candidacy OF
Adams for state superintendent ana m
structed for him. When the Howard
county convention was held Adams was
presented and asked for instructions.
but the convention EeluSeu lHio eiiiu
the delegation is not committed TO
anyone. When the Winneshiek county
was held both Barrett and
Adams were either present or mad peeh
at Decorah. Barrett had asked that
there be no instructions given, ana
Adams insisted on instructions for hlm-
self No instructions We're given. Ine
worth and Cerro Gordo conventions
gave no instructions. Adams will get
his own county of Fayette, OF course,
and Barrett will get his own county
OF Mitchell. What Clayton and Aha
makee and Floyd will do remains to be
seen. but the fact is that large
majority of the delegates thus far Sc
lected to the state convention are Tor
Barrett But that is not the significant
mart of il. The fight has developed IN
some other counties into sort of guer-
lila warfare of revenge for what was
done two years ago. The district then
divided on governor. Trewin was ask
ing for the support of the district for
governor and if he could have got 1t