The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-03-10
Pillow RELIED
UPON TO HALT
wind EROSION
Roughened Land Surface
and Burrows Check
Moving Soil
By KILLER KREIGHBAUM
lJ,;t.d Pres. STAFF Correspondent

U,;ted Pres STAFF CorresPondent
WASHINGTON. Mar. 10 CUP
The pillow, which opened up gra1S
covered plains TO the menace
Of soil blowing and dust storms
now is being used 10 prevent the
prairie farmers lands from grow
ing into a new American desert:
The soil conservation service Is
recommending to all farmers IN
the dust trough from the IeXas
Panhandle TO North Dakota that
thew plow their fields which lie
naked 10 the sweeping winds Oh
the great plains. .,,
Thus by the irony of historical
fate the instrument which gener-
ally is blamed for ripping on the
cover on these former bunaio
grazing grounds actually is helping
TO ave them as farm lands. Inc
soil conservation service regards
the situation as so serious tnat
one of its experts has prepared q
special bulletin on emergency
wiud-erosion control
In this booklet, Glenn X. Rule
erosion student, writes:
Constructions of any KIND IN
the path of a moving stream OF
wind-blown soil will check the
driving force Of the wind and PIE
un the soil. On wind-swept teids
soil particles lodge behind thistles
and other weeds, because they
check the velocity of the wind.
Woyen-wire fences and even barb
wire fences will check wind cur
rents thus causing soil to aceu-
mulate. These observations sug,
gest what can can do to stop sou
from drifting. Emergency control
AZ excessive soil-blowing consists
essentially in placing obstrueitohs
in the path Of the wind.
Where the vegetative cover mas
been stripped off a field, blow
soots,' or the centers IN wnlcn
baby dust storms are orewed,
should be roughened so that the
strong winds can not gain head
way. Any type of tillage impie-
ment that leaves burrows may DC
used and the deeuer and more
eloddy they are, the better they
Are 70 catch particles which the
winds otherwise would pick up.
II REQUIRES only a sweep Oh
few miles for the spring winds 10
gather up dust for "black buzz
lard In 1885, these dust storms
gathered up tons of topsoil from
the plains. carried them all the
way across the United States and
dumped them into the Atlantic
ocear, some 1000 miles away.
The soil conservation service
estimates that at least 1867 $50
acres in the famous Region No. Q
or the southwest dust bowl al
ready Is affected by wind erosion.
Flowing affords miniature dams
to. catch and hold rs much OF the
previous rainfall as possible. Since
water is the key to wind-erosion
on the plains, It is vital to eaten
every raindrop, if possible. This
moistens the soil and helps to in
sure vegetation which in turn is
the only permanent control against
wind erosion,
Tests during the 1886 growing
season demonstrated to soil con-
servation service experts that list
ing Of land on the contour was
equivalent to an additional inch
Of rainfall. Because of this extra
inch Of moisture the soil on con-
toured areas was wet at least a
foot deeper than soil in areas not
so plowed.
Crop residues such as corn
stalks or wheat stubble should be
left on fields wherever possible
and not burned or grazed of. Ex-
perts estimate that the destroying
Of crop residues either by burning
or blowing and over grazing so
that the soil has less protection
are two Of the most destructive