Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-05-15

peals to me with peculiar force, be- |
cause recent studies have led me to |
the belief that the earth's future |
Availability is vastly greater than we
have been wont to believe. 1t is a |
common conception that the earth |
sprang from chaos at the beginning
of our era and is plunging on to cat
astrophe or final winter in the near
future, but I have come to believe
that the earth arose from regener-
alive process and offers fair pros
pect of Availability for tens of mil
lions Of years to come. II this be
true, it is eminently fit that eur race
should give thought to the distant
results of it's action. 1t is also new
conception Of geology that climatic
conditions have been much like the
present from early eras, In spite of
some notable variations, and that this
general uniformity is the result of a
profound regulative system which has
kept the temperatures and the, con-
stitution of the earth's atmosphere
within the narrow range congenial
to life for many millions of years.
As a result there has been no com
plete break in land life since 1t came
into being. years ago. 1t is further
conceived that the sources of the
vital supplies are still adequate and
likely to continue so for years, that
the regulative system is still in eff
fective control and that vast future
of habitability may fairly be predict
ed, subject only to some contingen-
cies of disturbing approach of COL
1iSiOn with celestial h0dies
How shall we cooperate with ma
ture in rendering conditions still
more serviceable to ourselves and
our successors? Clearly we may use
the proper revenues of our inheri
lance, but surely we should not rob
our successors of their share of it.
To answer this formidable problem,
let us turn at once to the basal fac
tors, rainfall, soil formation, and
soil wastage. The rainfall is to be
| regarded as an inherited asset; the
soil is clearly an inherited asset;
even little soil removal may be re-
garded an advantages; but reckless
soil wastage is a serious error Soils
are the product of the atmosphere
and it's waters modifying the rock
surface. When they have aided the
air in producing soil by rock decay,
the atmospheric waters may either
pass into plants or back to the sur
face and out by evaporation, or they
may pass on down to the ground wat
ers, and thence into the streams, fur
nishing there the basis for water
foods, for water power, and for
stream navigation. Here is a good
work, soil production, followed by
advantageous courses of the water,
both up and down. On the other
hand, water may rush away as a foul
erosive flood on the surface, flooding
the valleys, filling the reservoirs,
| sweeping out dams, barring the
streams and clogging the deltas. If
it shall be found that yearly all the
rainfall should go into the soil,
coming out thence slowly and stead
lily into the streams, clear and pure
these should present yearly ideal
| conditions for water food and water
power and for stream navigation
The ideal solution of the soil prob
lem may therefore solve the greater
part of the whole complex of prob
lens. The soil problem may thus
prove to be the key problem.
I'VE have no accurate measure oil
the rate of soil production, but it is
clearly very slow. While it varies
directly from different kinds of roch
and for partially reduced rock, the
usual estimate is foot in 1000 tt
5000 years, which includes channe
cutting, etc. This Is doubtless tor
high for soil production alone.
should hesitate to name a rate great
er than one foot in 10000 years o.
| the basis of observation. If we al
| low 10000 years for four feet of sol
next the rock it is probably non,
too conservative To maintain
i good working depth, surface vast,
} should then not exceed some sucl
} rate as one inch in a thousand years
At any rate, surface wastage mus
be very slow unless it is to out-ruI
soil production and lead to the los
; OF the body Of the soil. Surface vast
, age is therefore a serious menace t,
. the retention of our soils unde
present modes of management. His
torical evidence enforces this. Ii
the Orient there are large tracts al
most absolutely bare of soil on which
formerly bore flourishing popula
tons. Much more than simple los
OF vertility is here menaced: it il
the loss of the soil body itself. a los
almost beyond repair. The immens
tonnage of soil material carried on
to sea annually by our rivers is al
impressive warning of the DANCE
OF excessive soil waste. Nor is thi
all; the wash from one acre ofte,
covers the fertile portion of anothe
acre or of several. Sometimes one
loss is another's gain, but all to,
! frequently ones loss is another's dis
aster.
From study of soils, it become
clear that the key to the problem
lies in the control of the waite
which falls on each acre. This waite
fall is an asset of great possible
value; saved If turned where 1t will