The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1938-06-23
Says Erosion And Lack OF In
telligent Farm Practices
Are Costly.

ment in the high schools of Ashe
was described by Supt J. B. Hash
as being the county's greatest need
of today in timely vocational adj
dress before members of the Jeffer-
>sons Rotary club last Thursday
night.
Speaking on the subject of, eco
nomically into what direction are
we drifting and what can we do
about it?'', Supt. Hash cited figures
from a recent editorial in this paper
which showed that cattle and live
stock raising in the county have
been constantly decreasing since
1922, instead of increasing.
He said that in 1922 there were
1858 horses in the county as COM
pared with 1884 last year; 584 mules
as compared with $50 last year; 49,
1875 sheep as compared with 9,204
last year; 1855 cows as compared
with 8,3O8 in 1897 and 1873 heads
of cattle as compared with 1852 last
year.
GAS appalling as these glazing
facts are, indicating the direction in
to which we are drifting economic
ally, they do not compare in magni-
tude with the loss during the past
fifty years due to erosion of the
SOIL" he declared.
"Our greatest economic loss is not
- Sva IA M
horses, mules, sheep and cattle-in
the loss of our virgin timber, but,
the loss of our greatest economic as
set as an agricultural and livestock
raising county-the decreased pro-
ductivity of the soil due to unintelli-
gent farm practices.
cit gives one not feeling OF OPP
timism of the future when one rides
over roads and sees the eroded hill
sides and gulleys which should be
covered with bluegrass, dairy and
beef cattle.
"a number of years ago when
that great Humanitarian in the
White House today was riding along
the bank of a river whose water
was red, he turned to his escort and
asked, how many months during
the year does this condition exist?
The answer was, every month dur
ing the year..
'Then and there was given birth
! to ah IDEA out of which has develop-
led the present Soil Conservation
program, sponsored by the federal
government.
What that great Humanitarian
saw in that muddy river you and /
can see in Ashe county. He was see
ing In his imagination an impover-
ished home with wage Garner Elk
ing out miserable existence IN
trying to provide the necessities OF
life for his wife and children by cul-
tivating an eroded, worn-out, unpro-
ductiVe hillside. e
81 'sdis minds eye entered that home
and saw those children poorly
clothed, so poorly fed that their
health was being impaired and that
they were not growing into strong
manhood and strong womanhood as
God had intended they should ana
in this stunted and underfed body
there was developing stunted mind
and there was developing a gener-
alton to become charges OF society.
eve don't have to use our imagl-
nation to see them to see that pro-
ductivity is decreasing IN Ashe
county. that it is harder to make a
living on eroded soil.
"And upon what does our econom-
ic prosperity depend? 1t depends
upon our ability to create wealth
to produce. Every member OF this
club is engaged in worthy and es-
sential endeavor, but how many OF
MS are CREATING WEALTH? Some
few of us would make very high
score on this point. More OF our
citizens must and should be en-
Gagged in CREATING WEALTH.
aWhen the Conservation program
became a reality, the leadership OF
the county was not ready to accept
It. This story is familiar to all OF
YOU. The same philosophy that DOM
mated the county when Soil Con-
servation program became reality
has dominated the county since
there has been any efforts in secon-
Diary education.
"Although the securing OF a coun-
ty agent was necessary to make tne
Soil Conservation program reality
in this county, it was necessary TOT
the county's part of the cost to DC
raised by private subscription; ye'
during the first year of its operation
$4,000 in benefit payments were
made the first year and $4,000 the
second year.
"The next time you go into groc-
cry store, permit me to make q sug.
aast;on. look over the label OF the