The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1946-06-06
Miss Walkers prize-winning
speech on soil conservation fol-
lows:)
Continued from last week.

pOuI1OS VI phosphate AAC "oAAIS>
to dispose of, so he threw it ou
on a little piece of land. Thu
land had lot of white clover
on it as well as an unusually
good stand of grass. The farmer
said, ''Why, you can tell a differ
ence in the dark by just walking
on it."
Forests have proved very sue
cessful in helping check erosion
on slopes. The best plan is tt
plant the trees 6 by Z feet anc
then in later years thin them tt
Is feet apart. Forests of this
type bring in $4,000 more pei
acre per year. Soil loss from
virgin forests occurs so slowly
that the soil undoubtedly builds
up from beneath as rapidly as il
is removed from the surface.
One of the weakest points III
the whole program. Of Southern
Agriculture is the lack Of def
mite rotation system. The main
tenance of a good crop rotation
system, involves the continuing
of the crops that make up the
rotation, especially the soil con-
serving crops.
When seasonal or other con-
ditions prevent the sowing of a
crop as scheduled, the field
should be worked back into reg
ular schedule as soon as possible
by substituting another crop OF
the same type.
Where the farmers available
acreage doesn't permit a good
crop rotation, winter crops should
be used on all bare fields. In
controlling soil erosion too much
emphasis can not be placed upon
building up and maintaining the
humus content of the soil.
Some advantages of crop rotat-
ion are:
Cd More crops will turned
under for green manure.
CD Plant food in the soil car
be used to a greater advantage
(3) Where lime is used it can be
applied at the point of rotation
where it will do the greatest good
to the crop that needs it most.
(4) Weeds are kept under bet
ter control.
50 Plant diseases and harmful
insects can be better controlled
(6) It is easier to practice div
justification of crops with a
rotation.
CD Labor is more evenly div
ided.
90 Management is easier.
go Soil fertility can be kept
under a tenant system of farming
In controlling soil erosion q
good crop rotation is not merely
desirable, it is essential.
Under a system of contour
farming, all the rows in a field
follow horizontal lines around the
slope. Field operations follow
ing the contour throw up ridges
of soil which confine rainwater
Although contour tillage by it.
self seldom gives sufficient pro-
lection to soil washing, except
on moderate slopes, it is inval-
liable as companion measure to
all other defenses. Unless ter
raced land, for example, is con-
tour cultivated, the useful life of
he terrace system is very short
It is almost impossible to main
tain terraces satisfactorily on
land that is not contour cultiva-
ted. The doWn-slOpe movement
+ soil between the terraces is too
great so the channels quickly fill.
Before terracing make a def
mite study Of these factors:
% Slope, or lay of land.
(2) Natural drainage system
and outlets.
80 Kind Of soil.
"a Existing distractions.
Not only is the proper layout
# terraces essential, but in
building them, certain established
principles should be followed.
There are two types Of broad
base terraces. One type pri-
narily an absorption structure,
is used principally in fields in
which the soil readily absorbs
water. The second type, the
graded broad-base terrace, is to
help check the rate Of soil loss
~ providing orderly surface
drainage.
To strip-crop a field, plant it
in contour strips of different
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