Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-12-19
FARM LOSS ENORMOUS

The farmers of the United States lose each year in soil
washed from their land enough to pay the entire expenses of
the national government at Washington, declared Congress
man }. 1. Watkins of Louisiana in an address before
the = congressional Red River Improvement association at Den
lson, Texas. Mr.. Watkins made a strong plea for forest preser-
Vatlon ana waterway Improvement and advanced some start
ing ngures regarding the rate at which the national resources
are being exhausted
From the soil which is washed from the land and the
eaVrhg OF the river banks one billion tons of silt accumulate
IN our river beds annually y he said. .sThis soil is the most
ieitlle part OF the land and it is worse than wasted. 1t is not
only lost Tor all practical purposes, but forms an imnedimen+
= Navigation IN making sand-bars, catching logs and filling W
le channel OF the stream; often causing it to go entirely dry.
WINE mlllo1ls OF dollars worth of levees have caved and
washed mo the river, this does not constitute the main expense
. l Uni SOIL wash. 1t is usually the virgin soil which, first
washes MO the streams. This virgin soil usually produces
more abundantly than commercial fertilizers IF ooa,,no,o;a
Ieflllzers are worth $4,000 per ton and we should estimate this
Dn, WHICH s washed or OF the land at the same value. we see
shav1 u" ;, - - r@' lWehtv Dillon dollars every year. If the value
should be divided by twenty the loss wopld sin no ~ h;1;aa
oo''lse enough u pay the entire expenses Of our national o
Ielfnent, including the executive. the leoislat;vn ~ a. p:
|cial departments. '' "o
When a man puts a ton Of commercial fertilizer on a piece
OF land and 1t IS washed away by a single freshet, he realizes
ms loss ana begins measures to circunvent a recurrence. But
wnen the surface OF his soil is being gradually DESTROYED hv
erosion, he neither plants shrubs or terraces his land 70 revont
II. There has been a time when be could NOV, his new ground
lei TO held SIMPLY by clearing it, but that time has
ls'ssed. IL becomes necessary for each land owner to conserve
III every possible way all the land which he owns.
One OF the great problems before the american ,eon7a
TO-DAY IS the Conservation Of Our National Resources
III solving thesa problems the question of reservoirs at fire head
waters OIL u streams Wi! play an Important part. When
'lese reservoirs are constructed the stream flow will no 81 nou
as 70 enable the marsh lands to be the mora readily drain
eu. lllat these lands will eventually be reclaimed tbe,, can ha
1T douot, as II IS evlA"nt that our population will increase to
Two hundred million within fifty wears and cniornrs.: of al
hlnds, having for their object Tic development Of mr. nain,,,
sesofi'res, will be lnaugulatet' and these lands when radeen,od
Will &<1 llllons OF wealth to oHr natEra! resources.
lhe water courses Of this 20 1nttrv are cap,hle ar rn.1,o
ing energy suhhclent to generate thirty million horse power Of
electrical force. This force cor j., distributed over, tlo ont;ro
area OF this country. When our timber is exhausted f, 49,
purposes or fuel and cur coal IS .>Aia we mus ]ool. r. W.
streams to supply our motive power in the form Of aot,1+
WIN when TO propel our engin:I and furnish LIGHT. and heal
and while our forests are being renewed we must lool, : ~.
vanishing supply of iron to perform many of those fnoct;o,s
now performed by wood.
.'No individual, no local or state government can utilize
The national government will not improve them except for prr.
poses OF navigation, and as the growing of forests. the bu;Id.
ing OF levees, drainage and revetments will tend TO ;nnro1a
navigation, it is evident that we must look to the natonal gov
eminent to protect our streams from destruction. AS = n moi
dent to this protection, locks and dams are necessary. and
through them the electrical power will be generated wb;c1,
generations now unborn will enjoy when the oil. a and oo.,
shall be no more. "
palmer just how every body is to tackled and badly wounded BY a pet