Evening star., 1948-01-25
Dead Farm Is Brought to Life
Montgomery County Miracle Is Achieved
By Soil Conservation Methods
By Edward M. Rider
University Of MaryIond Extension s.

overgrown by weeds, briars and
young trees 6 or Z feet high. Before
any thought could be given to culti-
waiting the land, 1t was first neces-
.sary to clear off most Of the trees
and heavy brush by hand. The re-
naming underground was plowed
under or cut down with tractor
mounted stalk cutter.
In addition to the expenses In
volved in reclamation, a quarter
mile road had to be rebuilt and the
farmhouse repaired, equipped and
put in "liveable" condition. AS 1t
was. Mr.. Kallle and his family were
not able to move into the house un-
til June.
Regarding the record amount OF
first-year contour strip-cropping,
Mr.. Kahle expressed his conviction
that "it is wisest to establish these
practices initially SO that whatever
put on the land from now on will
stay there, instead Of being washed
away" This is particularly i'm
portant since, as the logical sequel
to his land clearing and strip-crop-
ping operations, Mr.. Kahle plans
to gradually increase fertility
through the use of lime, CONNER
cial fertilizer and manure. The
farm will not return to its maxi
mum potential state of fertility, he
feels, until livestock and a sys-
tematic crop rotation have been in
troduced
Plans for the Future.
Future conservation plans for this
farm call for the development of
1873 acres of rotation crops and Pc
rennial hay, 100 acres of perma-
nent pasture, and II acres of pro-
tected woodland. Also scheduled
for some future. date is the widening
and deepening of the old farm
pond, which will be used for fire
protection, stock water supply, fish,
ing and bathing. This spring, Mr..
Kahle plans to continue clearing
operations and will extend his acre..
age of strip-cropping. He plans
to establish a 270-rod contour hedge
of multihora rose between the CROP
land and permanent pasture. Sew
eral drainage bitches will be blasted
in the meadow to facilitate develop
ment of a permanent pasture.
Son of country pastor, Mr..
Kahle was born on a dairy farm in
West Virginia and spent most Of
his youth in a farm community
near Roanoke, Va. In 1884 he re-
ceived a B. s. degree in agricultural
education from Virginia Polytechnic
institute. After serving three years
as teacher of vocational agricul-
ture in Hanover County, Va, he
took graduate work at Cornell Uni
versity. Since 1899, he has been
with the Agriculture Department
and Is currently employed in the
Program Division Of the Poultry
Branch.
When questioned about his move
from town to country and the pur-
chase of a farm that had been so
long neglected, Mr.. Kahle said that
first of all, it fits in perfectly with
a desire he has had from child
hood to own farm of his own.
Moreover, he wants his three chill
dren (two boys and one girD to
enjoy the same advantages he had.
Finally, the farm which he chose
is large enough, If properly de-
veloped, to become a self sustaining
economic unit that will provide him
and his family with added security
and will, he hopes, be a place to
retire.
Right now his big job is to re-
build gradually the fertility of the
neglected soil so that it will be able,
in future years, to support its owner
adequately. Soil conservation farm
ing methods are helping bring about
these obiectives.