The Wilmington morning star., 1940-09-23
PRAISE
SOIL DISTRICTS
Non Important Soil Conserva-
inn Areas Are Now In OPP
eration In North Carolina

.b as these. i Work a
sasn worth $500 to me-; MY farm
dolbled in value since l began
parking with the district"
rbe comments might come from
number of farmers in the 10
- conservation districts now in
' '..,ation in North Carolina. Thir-
~ two counties. lying between the
Yale Coastal Plain and the Blue
n:;ee mountains and covering one
ars of the state, are included in
NE districts.
zach of the districts, Lee ex-
,,.ined. was organized as a volun-
!.rv cooperative move on the part
e" a. land owners to control erosion
md build up the soil.
In the first half of 1910, 1.530
Armer-district agreements were
.srnleted. These included a total
w.. of 1872. $50 acres. AS a fur
dor Indication of the farmer re-
.,onse to these districts, there is a
,.a1 Of 5.106 applications on file at
s.te college for assistance in con,
yryation planning.
Ice said that although Jone-third
/, the state is included in the dis
yicts, there are many farmers,
sotb within and without such areas.
,tc do not know of the opportuni-
hes available.
To bring about a better under
sending of the districts purposes
mi aims. l57 meetings for inter
sted farmers were held between
f,ruarv and July of this year with
TRIAL attendance of 5000. In addi-
MN, there we're II group-planning
letting conferences in which 246
s%srticipated.
These assemblies of farmers
are led by members of the Ex-
1sjon Service. vocational agricui-
1e teachers, district technicians
md other authorities. Lantern
;ides. charts, maps, and other ma
Farials we're used to illustrate the
lectures.
Fifteen soil conservation tours
we're conducted lin the six-month
peiod by county agents to farms
,aving complete programs in CO
veration with the districts. These
purs we're of a complete farm
study type. and only two or three
Jams we're visited in the after
ml.
The operator led the group over
bis farm. explaining each part OF
Tie program and how he estab-
hhed the various practices. Inter
at was excellent and attendance
aoc on these visits.
CCC Assistance
Where the farms a located
within the ~work-range Of a CCC
camp, assistance in carrying out
certain practices is available to
district c~ooperators without cost.
The labor is used in establishing
practices which normally are be-
ylnd the resources of the average
farmer to set up.
Such work. Lee explained, in
cuoes terrace outlet construction.
building meadow strips or vege-
ated waterways. gully control
measures. timber stand improve
ment, planting trees, and relocat-
ing fences. In the first half OF
l94t. the districts received 1873, 752
~ran-days of CCC labor.
Land Use Changes
The first step in a soil conserve
ton program on a farm, the State
college man pointed out, IS the
setting up Of proper land use meth
DDS, This involves retirement OF
steep fields and severely sroded
areas to permanent cover, the es-
Enlistment of a suitable rotation;
management; and wood
land management. Likewise, it
the use of terraces, protec-
non Of outlets, strip-cropping, and
appllcation of fertilizers and soil
amendments. and gully control
Work.
For the first six months of this
Year, more than 5000 acres Ct
s'eep or eroded land were removed
rom cultivation. New rotations
we're planned for 43, GOO acres, and
strip cropping set up for 1900
Pasture land for the 10 district
areas was increased by $1,000 acres
.uflhg the period, and the addi-
l0nal 1000 acres planned for per-
'!anent hay represent an increase
il oSO percent over that previously
grown.
Inc nearly 1900 acres of idle
a'lo' found on the farms prior to
1T setting up of district agree
tenlS, have been put to some eff
,,ent use. This means there is no
ue land now on the cooperating
alils' and that crops, sod, or trees
'UVef the once unusued areas.
Lee explained that terracing is
an important means of
" roSlon control for most farms.
Ae district cooperators in the six
~; unlh period terraced 7,780 acres
',ul heavy equipment, and 8,405
with farm power. This ter.
land is being operated under
lo'dtlon system so that one prac-
w VIII complement the other.
"ooolands. long misused under
Idge farming practices, have
Iis4l l considered carefully under the
0orao~> n- IT,. |