Evening star., 1935-03-24
j. S. |NTENS|F|ES
SOIL EROSION WAR
Havoc of Wind and Water
Attacked on Many
Fronts.
BY JOHN c. HENRY.


of human suffering and destruction
of live stock, crops and property. And
before these profits are entirely bal
anced an entire nation will pay-ln
higher food prices and in tax reve-
nue. to support gigantic Federal
war against soil erosion.
Twenty-Five years ego the millions
of acres now swept by devastating
dust storms we're carpeted by buffalo
grass, used for grazing lands. Then
came the war and nations called for
wheat; farmers of the Midwest leaped
at the chance for profits and patriot
ism, the buffalo grass vanished and
was replaced by mile after mile of
grain. Gradually. however. the crops
have grown less bountiful during the
past years and recent seasons of SUBJ
normal moisture have left the unpro-
tected soil dry and powdery. victim of
the winds.
Recognition of this development was
a long time coming from scientists and
local and Federal officials 1t has
arrived, however. and prospects to-
day are that the fight against soil
.erosion-by wind in the Southwest
and Midwest and by water in many
other parts of the country-iS destined
to become a major function of the
@United States Department of Agri-
Couture.
Soil Erosion Service.
Eighteen months ago soil erosion
service was established in the Depart
ment of Interior Hitting at the prob
lem in what they believed the most
practical manner, the new bureau took
steps to establish about 40 great test
ing areas for the application of vari-
Gus erosion control projects. Three
of these. located in the belt now af-
-fected, concern themselves solely with
wind erosion.
At Dalhart, Tex, Al farm owners
have entered into contracts with the
Government to follow advice of erosion
service officials in use of their 26,976
acres. OF this acreage, q, ,954 acres
already have been placed under treat
n1ent Crop rotation in an order pre-
scribed by the Government repre-
sentatives is planned for $4,000 acres,
terraces 207 miles in total length al
ready have been constructed over
1924 acres. Strip cropping is plan
ned for 1859 of the acres and $4,000
trees soon are to be planted through
the area.
Committing themselves definitely to
no single manner of fighting the wind
erosion, the bureau officials are test
ing five principal methods. They fol-
Tow:
- l. Utilization of erosion resisting
crop resioues Strip cropping is plan
med. in which erosion n-resisting and
snon-resisting crops are planted in
alternate strips. Winter and Sum-
4ner crops also are alternated in strips.
Various types of stubble and weeds
are left unburned. disposition being
delayed until new crop season.
Overgrazing is guarded against.
Moisture Conservation.
2. Moisture conservation for con-
tinuanCe of vegetation. Terracing
and contour tillage, both practices
serving to raise windbreaks, as well
as helping catch and conserve mois-
.ture
{ 3. Emergency cover crops Sorghum
"1s the principal recourse in this meth
eod. although a few other crops that
do not require moisture are adaptable
4. Windbreak tree paintings. This
method is practiced only where there
is sufficient water available to give
Fome assurance that the trees will live
. 5. Tillage operations when no vege-
@tative cover can be acquired. Most
sCommon of these is a surface tillage
by which the land is ridged at right
angles to the prevailing winds. A
second form clodS the surface, the
.roughening thus making it less sus-
lceptible to wind damage. while third
form is deep tillage that brings up
heavy subsurface soil.
With only six months of actual op-
Grating experience behind them, off,
Eials of the service have formed
no conclusions as to the comparative
Effectiveness of these methods, guiding
their procedure thus far by conditions
Sn different areas
More recently established testing
projects are at Colorado Springs,
Colo, where about 100000 acres were
marked for experimentation early this
year At Huron, S. Oak, an even
larger tract of $4,000 acres is being
brought under supervision of the
service.
Insistent that the problem is long
time one, officials of the service never
theless are forced to advise what tenn
porery steps they believe practicable
in the present emergency.
Storms Occur Daily.
F. L. Duley. regional director at
Kansas, wired the following report to
the bureau yesterday
Dust storms, almost daily occurrence
In Western Kansas, will probably con-
tinue until rain comes. Nothing but
rain and growth of Spring vegetation
will solve trouble Our program is
having beneficial effect Listing and
cultivating soil is greatly retarding
blowing where used. We are putting
on campaign to increase this work
Terracing appears to be beneficial
when combined with proper tillage
Newly terraced land not blowing much
This country more barren Of vegeta-
ton than ever in history. Whenever
we are able to get our vegetative pro-
gram under way wind erosion will be
greatly reduced. Wheat prospects so
per cent normal about two weeks ago,
now only about 25 per cent Rain
fall since January ! Is "A per cent
normal"
Here in Washington H H. Bennett,
director of the soil erosion service,
looks with considerable alarm upon
the storms.
THE significance is appalling" he
said. 1T means our conquest of
America has been achieved at reck-
less cost in land resources. We have
dealt heedlessly with our land, looking
upon erosion by wind and water as
an act of nature over which man has
no control. We know definitely that
these storms are taking place because
of land misuse and failure to provide
adequate protection of cultivated areas
in the country west of the Mississippi.
About Is to 80 years Of cultivation
were required to make the soil of this