The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1911-07-25
TO prevent SOIL
BLOWING AWAY

FARMING ulStTlcIS the problem or sue
cessfully preventing the blowing of
soils is one that demands great deal
of attention from the farmer and
causes considerable discouragement
where the operator has been unable to
overcome the conditions.
At the recent convention Of the
Kansas Dry Farming association, a
great number of farmers asked the
same question: Glow can I prevent
my soil from moving away from my
growing crops" DR.. E. E. Free and
Prof. J. M. Westgate of the bureau of
plant industry, U. s. departemnt Of
agriculture, have given considerable
time to investigating blowing soils,
and make number of valuable sug-
gestions. Bulletin 421.)
1t is only where there is excessive
blowing of the soil that damage
occurs. 1t is well-known fact that
if one can prevent the soil from start
ing on the windward side, the problem
has been solved. When once the wind
begins to move the soil from the wind
ward side of the field, the moving dirt
acts much like an anger, working and
twisting, loosening and tightening the
soil in front of it, until the wind
sweeps freely through or across the
field, taking the loosened soil and
leaving the exposed roots to wither
and die.
The movement of soil is natural.
Both wind and water serve as vehicles
for the continual carrying of dirt from
place to place. Tt would be quite i'm
possible to prevent absolutely the
movement of soils, but it is by no
means an impossibility to prevent
dangerous movement.
Long, Pulling Winds.
Even in the humid districts there is
soil movement constantly going on,
but in the great plains area, as well
as in the southwest and in some narts
of the great northwest, light soils car
ried about by the wind are constant
source Of annoyance and loss.
light SOIL sand or sandy, is more
apt to cause trouble in a thoroughly
cultivated field than elsewhere, be-
cause tillage tends to break up the
heaverier clods or balls of earth and to
make them more easily portable.
Some soils blow very easily. and even
light winds cause damage to the farm
er. Ordinarily. however. the soil,
even though fairly well titled. has not
been ground into dust sufficiently fine
to allow an ordinary wind to move
any except that portion which has
been accidentally pulverized.
Tt is not always the velocity of the
wind that creates the damage. A
direct, constant. hot, dry wind is more
apt to create damage than is quick
wind of high velocity and of short du-
ration The reason for this is that the
wind of high velocity is apt to be
variable in its direction, hence in its
action upon the soil it is less in
furious.
It is also apt to be more powerful a
few feet from the ground than direct
lv at the surface line. The long, pull
ing dry wind is more apt to hold to
an unvarying course and to hug tight
lv to the earths surface. and in this
manner the boring motion against the
dirt in the field becomes movement
which, with the continued suction of
the wind, may destroy immense areas.
Compact soils. that is, soils where
there is certain percentage of clay
or gumbo to create cohesion are not
in such danger as are the light. sandy
soils. If farmer is able to prevent
the wind from starting at the edge of
the field, and he usually is. there is
little probability of serious loss.
Seeking Remedies.
Various cover crops are being test
ed, all more or less successful. Wind
breaks on the windward side of the
field have also been shown to be es-
pecially efficacious. The careful ad-
dition of humus or vegetable matter
to the solil by blowing under crops
for green manure, or the application of
barnyard manure, has been found to
be most valuable. But in the plains
region and upon the new farms where
wind breaks are not easily established
and humus cannot be quickly added
cropping system should be followed
whereby the movement of the wind
near the surface can be retarded and
movement Of soil prevented.
If one will notice, even in the driest
and sandiest regions where consider
able sagebrush covers the ground, il
will be observed that there is very
little soil movement, owing to the fact
that the sagebrush acts as a wind
break for the lower air stratum, pro
tecting the earths surface from high
wind velocity. The use of quick
growing crops alternating in divisions
or long, narrow fields extending at
right angles to prevailing winds with
more growing crops has been
found quite efficient. Cropping should
be begun on the windward side Of the
field (that is, the side of the field
from which are expected the normal
or most constant and continuous
winds) in order to furnish immediate
protection for the paintings to fol
low.
Milo, sorghums, dwarf milo, Kafl
and broom corn are good protectors Of
the slow growing, low crops. Hedges
of quick growing habits. trees OF
bushes, make good wind-breaks, and
sometimes the old method of stopping
the movement of snow observed along
railroad cuts is utilized to great ad
vantage
Get Humus in the Soil.
Care should be taken in the districts
where soils are apt to blow to study