Evening star., 1947-07-18


ing the practices naturally will be but frac-
ton of the initial expense of installing them
The "profitableness' of soil conservation is
borne out on every hand.
The Soil Conservation Service recently took
sample inventory on 1872 representative
farms in many parts of the country. 1t showed
the 1945 income from conservation treated
farms as compared to similar farms on which
only about half as much conservation work
had been done on the average. The conserva-
ton-treated units, including range, irrigated
land and all other types of farmland, had
almost S. an acre more income for the single
crop year than was produced by the COM
parable farms or ranches having little con-
servation-$28.30 an acre compared to $2340.
The average gross income for the conservation
treated farms was 1882. For the others it
was S. 959. In other words, there was an
advantage of $1373 per farm in favor of con-
servation in the one year of 1945. And the
conservation work does not have to be done
over, while the income from it keeps on coming
in so long as the work Is maintained.
America Depends on Its Farms.
Earlier more than 5000 representative
farmers in all parts of the United States
reported that conservation farming for two
years or longer had increased their per acre
yields Of all major crops by almost So per cent.
These reporting farms totaled nearly 100000
acres. Representative per acre increases in
cluded more than 80 per cent for corn and
nearly Is per cent for tobacco. The total
acreages of the more soil-depletng row crops
consistently were cut down in favor Of grass
and other protective crops but the total pro-
ouction of such intertilled crops just as con-
sstenty increased. Meanwhile, safer land use
and better, diversified farming with more
livestock and poultry comprised the most i'm
portant gain of all
Other returns from conservation farming
reported by farmers generally include savings
in labor, tractor fuel, wear on machinery and
in seed and other materials. 1t is easier to
farm with soil-conservng methods such as
contour cultivation. than with wasteful
methods.
The typica, American community-except
for certain industrial centers-depends on the
farms or ranches around 1t for its business
prosperity. Such improved income as have
referred to means better living for the farmer
and better business for manufacturers and
merchants, bankers, DOCTORS lawyers, news
papers, labor-everybody. 1t means better
schools and more support for churches. And
that chain Of increased wealth likewise extends
to increased tax revenues to government.
1t Is not hard to understand, when we look
AZ such significant facts these, why soil
conservation has become a major national
objective and is fast being accepted as
necessary part of the American conduct of
sffairs. During the next 20 years, look for
the United States to make the greatest soil
conservation effort that has ever been under
taken in history. Actually, we have no other
choice, even if we should be shortsighted
enough to seek one, in view of such growing
rressures on our remaining productive land
as our food requirements, export needs and
growing demand by industry for organic raw
materials produced by the soil.