Indian Mounds nursery will shut down
Demand for pine seedlings has decreased in recent years
BY GLORIA JENNINGS

Employees at the Indian Mound Nursery near Alto received disturbing news Oct. 12. They were notified that the long-time nursery will close Aug. 31, 2008. Plans for closure of the nursery is due to the fact that the demand for pine seedlings has decreased in recent years.

Indian Mound Nursery currently employees seven persons, said Sharon Ivie, office associate. In the past elderly persons sought seasonal work at the nursery. Currently it invests in excess of $600,000 annually into the local economy. Of that amount approximately $200,000 is allocated to salaries.

"We will continue to operate until all the crop currently in the ground is sold," Mrs. Ivie said.

One employee will seek employment elsewhere; two will remain at the site for maintenance and the others will retire.

The Indian Mound Nursery is a part of the history of the Alto area. The nursery dates to 1940 when the Texas Forest Service selected the site as a seedling nursery.

Water from several ever-flowing springs is used for reservoirs to supply an irrigation system.

The nursery's web page says its name came from the 30-foot high Indian mound that sits on the north side of the property.

The L-shaped mound, established in approximately 1000 A.D., is believed to have been a place of worship for the Caddo tribe. The mound was excavated in the mid- 1940s.

The original nursery site contained 73 acres acquired by the state. Alto citizens contributed funds toward its purchase and placed 40 acres in the production area.

In 1977 the Texas Forest Service purchased 127 acres across State Highway 21 and placed more than 59 acres in production.

An additional 121 acres adjoining the original nursery was purchased in 1993. Sixteen acres were placed in production and 19 surface acres in the reservoirs.

The nursery site has expanded to 321 acres with 115 acres in total production. Crop rotation is done every two years.

Pine and hardwood seedlings for reforestation, windbreak, wildlife and resource conservation are produced at the nursery. The nursery is capable of producing 27 million pines annually.

In recent years the nursery produced 25 million pines and 300,000 hardwoods. Pine production for this year's crop is 15 million loblolly and 100,000 Virginia pines. Hardwood production is estimated at 900,000 with 35 different species.

Harry Vanderveer is the current manager.