Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1922-05-01
NOTHING 10 1T.

NOTHING To IT.
In the course of Il news item sent to
the Des MOines Register from Webster
CITY the correspondent says:
IF small trees are planted wherever
the old ones are cut down, the process
of saving lumber as needed might go
on forever. but unfortunately this is
not being done in Iowa. Unless some
thing is done within the next few years
to permanently secure the lumber sup
ply in Iowa. IOwa'S streams will dry
ZIP and her fertile soil will eventually
become desert place. This matter
should be made shortly the subject OF
legislation in this state. PrOmiscnOnS
tree cutting has endured for the past
sixty years in this state. and the end
of the road is in sight. Even in Hamil-
ton county, nothing has been done to
repopulate the woods and banks of the
river"
There is no foundation for the fear
that Iowa rivers will dry up and the
state become desert If the trees along
he rivers are cut and not replaced.
Such a theory was exploded years ago.
Along in the early nincties there were
couple of years of drontll and fhe
nervous Ones not knowing what else
to lay it to, declared the filing of the
Countrywide draining of the SlOughs--
was reSponsible-the theory being that
the rainfall is gagged more or less by
local conditions. But experience has
proven that the drainage of the ponds
has not interfered with rainfall. rs
Iowa still has her wet as well as her
dry seasons.
John r. Sage. for many years di-
rector of the Iowa weather bureau and
a man of great good sense, exploded the
doctrine of those who held drainage
responsible for drOuthS. He declared
that an acre of growing corn or oats
moisture than an acre of solid water.
because there was so much more mOiS-
ture surface in the live plant. He also
called attention to the fact that certain
islands way ont in the Pacific ocean.
surrounded by thousands Of miles of
solid water. were subjected to long pc
RODS of drOuth.
Older settlers will recall that fifty
years ago there was scarcely a grove In
rivers and smaller streams. In those
days one could drive from Webster City
to Clarion and not see Il tree or shrub
nothing but graSs-after leaving the
timber skirting Boone river and White
Fox creek Now every farm has Il
large grove and it is barely possible
that there would be as many growing
trees in Hamilton county today We're all
the timber along the rivers cut MS
there were fifty years ago. and there
was no shortage of precipitation Of
moisture in those days.
A few years ago Kansas elected q
governor who thought the drainage of
the slougns was causing drought cOndi-
tons and he actually advocated the
policy of building artificial ponds all
over the state to increase the rainfall.
but he was laughed ont of the idea and
he very next year the portions of the
state where rainfall is not unusual
were delugcd with water. The governor
admitted his error and the proposed
system of artificial ponds was ahan-
lOned.
But aside from the question of rain.
ALL the future lumber and wood sup.
by of Iowa ought to he looked after.
Is suggested by the Webster City cor
Besides being very val.
liable for various uses. trees add great
V to the picturcSquenesS of the land
cape and their cultivation ought to he
Authorities tell us that most of the
ain for thiS section comes from the
;ulf Of Mexico and when the wind is
n the right dircctio Iowa will always
ave plenty of moisture. hut when the
Wind persists in staying in the wrong
uarIcr there will he drouth regardless
t local conditions.