The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1937-03-18
1887 SOIL CONSERVATION
PLAN SLIGHTLY CHANGED
Program Practically Same AS
That Presented Last Year to
Farmers


were made in the soil conservation pro-
gram for 1887, compared with the 1896
program, the provisions Of the new
program have been a>leading item for
consideration by farmers in all parts
of the State since they were announced
a few weeks ago.
Approximately Same Rate
Farmers are to be paid for divert
ing land from soil-depleting crops to
soil-building crops at about the same
rate as they were paid in 1896, except
that the maximum diversion from
Maryland tobacco base for which pay
ment will be made is Is per cent in
stead of 80 per cent as in 1886. Soil
building payments are to be made for
carrying out certain practices, and are
in addition to diversion payments. The
maximum amount that can be earned
in that way is called the bodybuilding
allowance" just as last year.
On farms eligible to earn diver
sion payment, the soil-building allow
ance will be $1.00 times the number
of acres of soil-conserving crops grown
normally, plus the number of acres
diverted from soil-depleting bases in
1887. The soil-building allowance on
farms not eligible to earn diversion
payment will include $1.00 times each
acre of crop land.
Soil Building Allowance
The soil-building allowance for all
farms, whether eligible for diversion
payments or not, will include: $1.00
for each acre of commercial orchard
on the farm January l, 1887; $1.O0 for
each acre on which only one crop of
commercial vegetables was grown in
1887; $500 for each acre on which two
or more crops of commercial vege-
tables were grown in 1886; and Is
cents for each acre Of fenced, non
crop, open pasture land in excess of
one-half of the number Of acres of
crop land on the farm.
Payments will be made for planting
approved seeds of legumes and peren-
NAL grasses, at the rate Of $3.50 per
acre for alfalfa; $500 per acre for red
clover, mammoth clover. sericea, kudzu
and bluegress; $3.50 for each acre of
Austrian winter peas, vetch, crimson
clover, alsike clover, sweet clover, an
nual lespedeza and orchard grass; and
$100 per acre for white clover, bur
clover, red-top and timothy. Rates of
payment for mixtures will depend up
on the kind and quality Of legumes and
grasses in the mixture.
Payments are provided for blowing
or disking under number of crops as
green manure after they have attained
a normal growth of at least two
months, or for leaving on the land GER
tain Of these crops grown in 1887.
These payments vary from $1.00 to
$500 per acre.
For planting forest trees payment
will be made at the rate of $3.50 per
acre, when planted on crop land, and
at the rate of $500 per acre on other
land. A payment of $3.50 per acre
for thinning to develop desirable spe-
cies of forest trees is provided, if ap-
proved in advance by the county COM
mittee.
Payments for applying ground lime
stone will be based upon the number
of tons applied, rather than the acres
covered. Two different rates of pay
ment will be made in Maryland, de-
pending upon the cost of limestone in
the respective counties.
Other practices for which payments
will be made include the application of
super-phosphates and potash, and ter
racing of the land to prevent erosion.
In the 1887 program provision is
made for classifying the individual
crops grown on the land, rather than
the land use, as was the case in 1886.
Last year, if land was used for pro-
duction of any soil-depleting crop, the
entire acreage was classified as soil
depicting and any soil-conserving
crop grown on the same land was ig-
nored, except soil-conserving crops
grown on land used for production of
wheat or truck crops. These latter
crops were given a special classified
ton.
This year, in specified cases, land on
which both soil-depleting and soil-con-
serving crops are grown in 1887 will be
counted as soil-depleting and part or
all of the acreage may be counted also
as soil-conserving.
Another change in the classification
of crops in 1887 provides that the
acreage on which any small grain is
harvested in 1887 will be soil-depleting,
Last year, small grain other than
wheat, when grown with or followed
by a legume, was classified as soil
conserving.
N- r%T ~ NY