Evening star., 1938-08-13
DUST BOWL GRASS
HINTS RECOVERY
U. S. Agriculture Officials
Unconvinced That Peril
Is Past, However.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Grass is growing in much Of the
"dust bowl" region OF the Western
plains, but Agriculture Department
officials are not ready to accept this
as q sign that better days" are here
for the area.
A year ago the bowl was scorched
and hot winds whirled tons of rich
soil skyward to torment much of the
Midwest with binding duststorms.
The black blizzards" left desola-
ton and despair in an area embracing
nearly 100,000,000 acres of Kansas,
Oklahoma. Texas, New Mexico, Colo
RADIO, wyoming, Nebraska, the Da-
kotas and Montana.
Then came winter SHOWS and spring
rains to replenish subsou that had
been deficient in moisture for five or
six years. Grass, some native and
some manipulated, began to thrive.
Wheat seeded in the fall developed
and grew into fair crops.
Hopes of Holdouts Soar.
Pastures provided feed supplies for
livestock herds which had been re-
duced almost to the vanishing point.
Smiles spread over faces of those
dust bowl families who had clung
stubbornly to their farms. For the
first time in years they had little
extra cash and high hopes for more
next year
During the first five months of this
year the amount of precipitation in
the region was much higher than q
year ago and slightly above normal.
But then the rains stopped. During
July and the first week of August
there were signs that new drought
might be developing. The Weather
Bureau reported this week that
moisture was badly needed in Kansas
and some other areas in the Southern
plains.
1T is too dry for farmers to do
blowing for fall seeding of wheat"
said j. B. Kincer, crop specialist.
However, there is plenty of time yet.
Farmers can plant wheat as late as
November. Perhaps the needed rains
will come before that time"
Nevertheless, officials of the Soil
Conservation Service said conditions
on the plains were improved basically.
They pointed to reclamation work done
during the past five years, such as the
establishment of grass cover on
millions of acres which they said
y11nyroS
for cultivated crops. They also point
ed to scores of water conservation prof.
ects and shelter belts" of trees de-
veloped to combat soil blowing. and to
the fact that many farmers were
using practices designed to minimize
erosion.
Continuation Problematical.
Officials wondered however, whether
farmers would continue to adhere to
these practices if plentiful rains fell
for season or two.
"A peculiar psychology seems to pre-
vail in regions subject to drought and
wind erosion-an attitude Of mind that
should be given serious consideration
in corrective programs" said the serv-
ice In q report on dust bowl condi-
tions.
During periods when plentiful mois-
ture supplies temporarily check the
scourges of drought and wind ero-
sion, many farmers seem to forget past
disasters quickly and revert to systems
Of farming poorly adapted to wind
erosion control As result, when the
adverse conditions again return, wind
erosion damage is usually more in
tense than ever before"
Conservation officials are advising
farmers Of serni-arid regions to gam
Bile" less on wheat and to play safe"
with livestock grazing and a limited
amount Of cultivated feed crops.