Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 March 1884 — Spare the Trees. [ARTICLE]

Spare the Trees.

Thirty years ago lowa had thousands of as beautiful walnut trees as ever grew on the face of the earth. They were ruthlessly cut down and split into fence posts and rails and sawn into lumber which was used for all kinds of building purposes. Many of those trees to-day would sell for SIOO. The same line of policy is now being pursued with many other kinds of timber. Pine trees are being laid waste by the million. The southern turpentine manufacturer is yearly destroying thousands of beautiful pine trees for the sake of a gallon of turpentine from each, that in a few years would be worth many dollars, add so it is with other kinds of timber. The land upon which much of this timber is growing is of little value for anything else. There are many trees now growing in lowa that if left alone for the next twenty years would bring large prices. It would be well to think of these things before ruthlessly chopping them down. The line of the poet would be applicable: “Woodman, spare that tree.”— Traer (Iowa) Clipper.