Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1943-01-21

-~-.=.=. ...= Aez]se-..ss-s -
Many eastern states are ruined.
Down hill burrows become gullies.
The soil goes to the sea. Strip crop
ping would have saved this erosion.
Several crops in strips across the
field is meant. One crop holds the
soil eroded by another.
In southern states, fifty million
acres Of Lespedeza, an oriental clo-
yer, heals erosion, and enriches the
soil. Soy beans act In the same
way, and fifteen million bushels are
raised. I have seen crotalaria grow
ing vigorously in pure sand. Kud-
zu, vines across the gullies, catches
the escaping soil and holds it there.
Northeastern states were once
covered by hardwood forests, such
as time never envisioned before.
OF deciduous trees, which once COW
cred the ground with falling leaves,
not one-tenth is left. Scarcely
perfect tree remains, only scrubby
second growth. 1t takes milleniums
to make soil, but few decades to
erode it.
Cane takes a heavy toll in south
ern states. Once they burned the
refuse, putting nothing back on the
soil. Now the waste called bagasse,
is converted into corrogated paper,
to supplant the waste of barrels
and wooden boxes.
have watched the white river of
cotton coming from the cotton mill,
and being delivered in $500 pound
bales. Another brown stream is
turned into oil for soap and oleo,
and meal. Nothing goes back, the
soil getting poorer all the time.
Surplus crops have been plowed
under, while numbers of people
were facing starvation. Money de-
termines whether it shall be dis
tributed. Some plans are under
consideration for better manage
ment of surplus. Nature, in some
years. has produced a second citrus
crop, two crops in one year. Can
ming the fruit and juice should take
care of this. An Englishman was
told 1--WE eat all we can. and what
we cannot eat, we can" Being
home again, he tried to repeat the
pun to his English friends: 'They
eat what they can, and when they
don't, they put it in tins"
Our Dust-Bowl was preceded by
years of dry farming. 1t was like
cupping the blood of an emaciated
patient. The soil of the plains is
dry, and nature had her revenge.
Colorado, Texas and Oklahoma were
carried to Kansas and Nebraska.
Here at McConnelsville. in 1884,
the sun was obscured by dust. The
storm carried dust to the ship
decks on the Atlantic. Dishpans
measured three or four inches Of
soil.
Now grazing replaces dry farm
ing. Sudan Grass or Kaffir Corn,
and Sorgo grow without much plow-
ing. Some states are setting out
along the highways shelter strips"
or young forests three or four rods
wide, to temper the rage of the
wind. 1t recalls the adage about
locking the stable door after the
horse is stolen.
Long years, people lived out of
tin cans, and threw away the de-
spised containers. Now we use ev-
cry scrap of tin, copper and iron.
Tooth-paste tubes are precious. In
six months, away over million
pounds of tubes were collected.
This seems unbelievable, but it is
only one pound of tubes to 1870 peo-
pie. War wastes the products Of
hundred years, the toll Of centuries,
the lives of millions.
America is the Good Samaritan
set to, save life. Nations ON the
Jericho Road have fallen among
thieves, are beaten, robbed, strip
ped, half dead. America will bind
up the wounds. and pay the bills at
the Inn of World Recovery. A voice
whispers America heal thyself
Cure thyself, thy debauchery,
drink, gambling, thy moral and
spiritual wastes, that sabotage the
nation, q deadly Fifth Column.
Lead the world an example of
real democracy, which is freedom
from sinful selfishness and pamper-
ed folly. Howard H. Scott