The Washington times., 1935-04-22
BY JAMES L. KILGALLEN
Copyright. 1885, by International
News SerVice)

By JAMES L. KILGALLEN
Copyright, 1885, by International
News Service)
LHART, Tex, April %
UNS0.-Uncle Sam has $4,000
acre dust storm Laboratory"
here in the wind-swept Texas Pan
handle, one of the most afflicted
areas in the country.
A quiet, unassuming Govern
ment scientist, H. H. Finnell, and
a corps of agricultural specialists
are doing pioneer work in strik-
ing at the basic cause Of the dev'
aStating dust storms which are
sweeping across large portions of
the United States at intervals.
Forty farmers and stock
raisers, owners of the land which
comprise The Laboratory" are
cooperating with Finnell in what
they regard as common cause.
First of It's Kind
This project Is really the first
"battle ground" in the war on
dust storms. 1t is the first of
its kind ever undertaken in
America and promises to be the
example for the entire Western
plains region, including such
States as New Mexico, Colorado,
Kansas, Nebraska and the
DakotaS.
Finnell, who is regional director
Of the soil erosion service, has
offices on the main street of Dial.
hart. There, day after day, you
find farmers-greatly perturbed
over the dust storm situation
coming in and asking Finnell for
technical information. Delega-
tons Of county agricultural
agents, business men, bankers
and every type seen in rural
community, find their way to
his offices.
The International News Service
correspondent, after interviewing
Finnell, was taken by automobile
over the 26,000-acre tract by B. w.
McGinnis, soil erosion specialist
and practical farmer.
Soil Blown Off
Inspection of the project re-
vealed that the land was badly
damaged by recent storms and
still showed the effect of storms
that had occurred in 1888 and
1884. In some fields the top soil
had been blown from part of the
field to another and piled in
hillocks.
The bottoms of fence posts were
literally polished by friction of
Swirling sand. At the various farm
houses, huge drifts of sand had
half buried agricultural machin-
cry, barns and shelter buildings.
A visitor could readily see what
Uncle Sam, as represented by Fin
nell and his men, are doing for
the farmers. These occupants of
land in the Texas Panhandle are
confronted with the problem of
producing crops under the condi-
ton Of the minimum of rainfall
and a high and recurring wind
velocity.
The land is now being cult
waited in a manner to conserve
all the water that falls on it.
Conserve Moisture
Finnell said the Government
Is emphasizing the necessity Of
maintaining a continuous cover
age of vegetation on all ground
exposed to wind. In this Western
plains region the main problem
is that of moisture conservation.
This situation is unlike that in
the East where the land has been
depleted of its fertility by con.
slant cropping and soil washing.
Western land from Texas to
the Canadian border is naturally
fertile and all it needs is rain.
But. since the rainfall has been
so limited in the West, the Texas
Panhandle and similar regions
must conserve every drop of
water that falls.
Five-Year Agreement
Farmers within the project have
entered five-year agreement with
the United States Government to
follow the cropping plans recon-
mended by Finnell and his staff of
Q dozen specialists.
Under this contract the Govern.
ment agrees to make necessary soil
surveys, engineer the land for
proper tillage methods, provide
machinery for terracing, plant
windbreakS of trees at suitable To-
cations and in cases of crop fail
ure to furnish seed for off-season
crops for land protection against
wind.