Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-05-23
COLE ADVOCATES
HIGHWAY OF TREES
WOULD PLANT BLACK WALNUT
ALONG LINCOLN HIGHWAY
ACROSS IOWA.
WOULD STAND AS
MEMORIAL TO WAR
Proposal Of Cedar Rapids Editor Has
Three Fold Purpose-Would Replen-
ish Depleted Walnut Supply, En-
nance Beauty Of Great Pathway
and Stand as Everlasting Memorial
special to Times Republican.

Cedar Rapids, May 23.-Speaking be-
fore meeting for the promotion OF
better and moro beautiful highways In
Iowa, Mr.. Cyrenus Cole, editor of the
Cedar Rapids Republican and Times,
this noon, advocated the planting OF
black walnut trees along the Lincoln
highway, from river to river, making
it a perpetual memorial of the pres
ent war for which we have had to sacri-
flee the black walnut trees Of Iowa.
Mr. Cole said, in part:
The war is depicting the forests or
the world. OF all the forests of Eng
land few will be left. All are being
sacrificed to win the war.
In America the land . is being
secured for black walnut logs. Millions
of these bea utiful nut bearing trees will
be cut down. II will take time 60 re-
plant and reforest. But it must pc
done. In England they are planning
on that work and they expect to spend
millions on 1t.
What are we going to do IN the
United States? Having cut down what
we Hdu, are we SollS W ieS'NS ~
chance the growth Of trees to supply
future needs?, Will that be the part of
wisdom? Will it be patriotism?
What we need is a comprehensive
tree planting policy and it ought to be
under government encouragement. We
can no longer leave such 4latters to
chance.
Beautify Dreary Stretches.
what I want to propose today in
this road meeting is the planting OF
trees along the highways Of the state,
of the Lincoln highway specifically.
Our roads are now dreary stretches.
There is nothing so univiting, nothing
so unbeautiful as miles of roadway IN
more or less flat country without
tree or a shrub. If the Lincoln high
way today were lined with trees there
is no one travelling from ocean to ocean
by automobile who would not choose
this route.
MY specific proposition is that we
shall make the Lincoln highway not
only memorial of the great president
in the civil war, but that we shall
make it a perpetual memorial OF this
last and this greater war.
Memorial to World War.
1T has taken our walnut trees to
win this warrior we will win it-so
let us plant black walnut trees along
the Lincoln highway from end to end,
800 miles OF them. on either side of5the
road. AS long as these trees will grow
they will serve to remind us Of this
war and those who come after us Will
walk and ride under their friendly
shades and still think Of 1t and Of
what the men and women Of this era
did for the freedom of the world How
can we remember this great era Of
sacrifices better?
But while we will be building a
memorial highway we will he contri-
buting to the wealth Of the state. Ev-
cry walnut tree has a potential value
and it Will grow larger each year. Wal
nut lumber is an asset We know one
farm in Iowa that is lined and crossed
lined with walnut trees planted thirty
or forty years ago and the lumber on
it is. worth more than the price OF the
land, high as this is. Planting a wall
nut tree is like taking out life in
surance policy for your children. 1t is
& life insurance policy that will pay
dividends every year in the form Of
nuts which the children will be able to
gather every autumn and in the end
there is the lumber, which is Of great
worth and price.
Plant 100 feet Apart.
II would plant the trees 100 feet apart
and l would trim the stems high
Planted that far apart they will not
hold snow drifts in winter time, neither
will they keep the roads soft in sum-
mer time by preventing drying after
the rains. The winds will sweep under
them and the sun will shine between