Evening star., 1947-06-22
| Conservation a National Need
Chief of Service Finds Rains Resulted
In Extensive Erosion in Maryland Fields
By H. n. Bennett
Chief, Sell cenaervosien ssrvies

Floods and transforms which have
been damaging crops and farmland
from iowa to Maryland re-empha-
size the fact that thorough soil con-
servation treatment of the coun-
Etry's farms and watersheds con-
tinues to be 3 national need OF the
first order.
The flooding of crops and destruc-
ton OF farm property Is running
into millions OF dollars OF easily
visible damage, and there has even
been loss of life. But the irrepar-
able damage done to millions OF
acres OF productive land BY the
beating rains and rushing food wa
tiers runs up to q staggering addi-
tional cost that perhaps never can
be fully computed.
Local Damage Described.
! As spectacular as they are. such
major flood damages are by no
means the whole cost OF soil wash
ing and erosion the country Is pay
ing this spring-and pays every
year. Heavy. driving June rains IN
and round Washington, for exam
ple, we're reported in news accounts
as having done considerable DAM
age to crops" That Is entirely true.
but It gives no hint OF what this
greater damage swas-how 1t came
about.
An inspection OF one of the af-
fected areas, however, showed on
every side the underlying cause OF
this damage locally, just as it Is
q major contributing cause OF the
more dramatic flooding up the Mis-
sissippi and its tributaries. That Is
failure to use farming measures
which hold a maximum Of rain
water on the land where 1t falls,
slow down It's rlinof into the drain
ages provided by nature, and check
soil erosion.
The Maryland area we checked Is
one Of the great tobacco producing
sections Of the United States.
Farming has been practiced there
for 200 years or longer. AS result,
and because of failure to do any
effective control work until just re-
Gently, many sloping fields have
been worn down to the unproductive
subsoil, or so quilted as to cause
abandonment for cropping. Long
since, thousands Of acres have
ceased to be cultivated and have
grown up to brush and pine. Still
other land lies idle In weeds and
bushes, serving no useful purpose.
except that these lands don't erode
very much because OF the wild
growth.
Farmers Of this locality have be-
gun to apply soil conservation treat
ment to their land, with Soil Con-
servation Service technical assist
(ance made available through their
own locally voted and managed soil
conservation districts. The contrast
between the damage to land and
crops on fields still farmed the old,
up and down hill way and the al
most complete lack of any damage
on nearby conservation treated
fields was unmistakable and strik-
ing.
Plants Washed Away.
We examined closely, to illustrate,
about one-fourth Of one recently
planted tobacco field Of approxi-
mately two acres. At the base OF
the slope In one part Of the field,
more than 800 tobacco plants had
either been washed out and carried
away entirely or had been covered
| by soil washed down from above.
Figuring about seven plants to make
pound Of cured tobacco, at q mar
ket value Of 40 cents q pound, the
outright immediate money damage
from erosion on this corner Of one
small field alone comes to about $50
That, however, was just part OF