Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-05-14
PEOPLE OF NORTH IOWA DOING
LITTLE IN REFoREsTA.
TON.
SATISFIED TO GROW
ORCHARDS AND WiNpeREAks
c. e. Wilson Finds Several Notable Elk.
ceptions and They Are a Source Of
Beauty and Profit-tarsest Orchard
in North Iowa Located Near Clear
Lake-12o-Acre Tract in Trees.
to Times-Republican.


cent years much of the tree covered
area of this state has been changed
from forest TO grazing and grain grow
ing land. Men have talked and writ
cutting down the trees and of the op-
! Por;un!ty for profit IL the tudicious
planting OF future fence post and lum-
Der supplies in the waste places
which. however. hardly can be said to
exist in this state, but every year
more and more OF the remaining for
est tracts Is cut away and very little
planting is being done thus far to bal
ance the timber loss. Perhaps in time
changed conditions will induce land
owners in northern Iowa TO plant for
est trees. but as yet these have not
become apparent and other than small
paintings of fruit trees and wind
breaks. nothing is happening in the
way of setting out trees except in rare
instances in this part OF the coun-
try.
One of these exceptions. tho the
to be noticed on the Edwin Nichols
estate now occupied b. =. l. Nichols
few miles south of Clear Lake in
Cerro Gordo county. The elder Mich
OILS settled there on splendid tract
Of iana for which b. rsid as,"ut s. per
acre. He at once planted twenty acres
of ii to fruit and forest trees and they
have been cared for to the present
T.
fyins results. There are couple of
acres of black walnuts. big. tall trees
tina, reach TO height of forty to sixty
feet. II is said that in spite Of all the
efforts Of the owner three prairie fires
swept thru the grove in early days but
the trees lived thru 1t all. One Of
the fires is supposed to have been
started by a gang of counterfeiters who
were located near by and who were
attempting thus to get rid OF undesir-
able neighbors. The plan failed and
the "tinanciers were sent to prison,
where they served terms for their mis-
deeds. Mr.. Nichols. planted a part of
his grove to shell bark hickories and
they too are standing slim. straight
aud tall. beautiful and unusual spec
tacle. Then there are long rows OF
of them nearly two feet in diameter.
Scattered thru the evergreen area are
numerous apple trees of unusual size.
| These have never been given any spe-
cial attention yet they bear heavily al
most every year. II is though, that the
presence of the pines and the unusual
| distance between the trees account fo-
their extraordinary thriftiness and
,Src ,,1v in ~ a y
has ever been sprayed or injured by
an insect SO that it needed spraying.
The present occupant OF the farm has
| installed waterworks system that Is
worthy Of mention. Water from a
| deep we'll is purpe into a big tank
whose walls. four feet In thickness are
made Of rock gathered from the vi
cinty and cenented so as TO be water
tight. Pipes from this carry water to
all the buildings and the COW barn
floors are cleaned by flushing them
with water from the stone tank on the
| higher ground near the house.
Another man in this section has done
something in the line of tree planting
| named Jones planted 100 acres to apple
Fanlontown and a year later he
planted few more. making 12o acres
| in all. or something more than 10000
trees. The earlier planted ones are be-
ginning to bear. This is probably the
largest orchard in northern Iowa
!
The little town of Fertile, about four
| miles southwest of here, is remark
Lob 1S t,r 10 of
a town without modern means Of COM
! munication with the outside world
There is no railroad any nearer TO
Fertile than at this point. but the place
nevertheless thrives There are three
| general stores in the town. a bank. a
mill, creamery, lumber yard. drug
store. resident physician. a barber. two
blacksmith shops, two meat markets,
a hardware store, restaurant. newspa-
per, two churches with resident pas
tors. a three-room school and total
populate OF 207. which is said to be
A hack man makes regular trips to
| Travelled in this manner a distance
more than equalling a trip around the
earth within the past four years he
| has been on the Job.
| Many are the dreams and schemes
and plans Of the people Of the little
town for some kind Of railroad but
thus far all efforts have been unavail-
ing. Every one of the plucky inhabit-
ants. however. expresses unbounded
faith in the ultimate realization Of the
one great desire and If there is any
thing in perseverance there will some
day be a railway station built in the
now inland town OF Fertile
One Of the few remaining log cabins
typical OF early day life in this country
still stands ON the H. H. Shields farm,