The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1948-03-25
To Save The Soil

It isn't often that we go overheard and advise the
farmers and ranchers in Big Horn county about any
thing, because we think they know their business better
than most, and certainly better than we do.
This time, however, we would like to suggest that
everyone who owns or occupies land in this county
which is not already in the Big Horn Soil Conservation
district, vote on the addition to the district.
There is a front-page story in this editiou of the
Tribune Herald giving the information as to when and
where YOU NAV express your opinion on the matter.
Those interested in the proposition had a difficult time
arranging for this election, because some very nasty
weather prevented many from attending the meetings
held here by the state committee last fall, and 1T was
necessary for many farmers and ranchers to express
their interest in writing before the state group would
sanction the election.
1t doesn't take us to tell the farmer that his most
important resource is the soil, and he knows already
far better than we do, that without proper cropping, til
lage, drainage, and in some places levelling and fertilz-
alton, his lands will not produce nearly so well for him.
We think, and we know many farmers already in
the district agree with us, that the Soil Conservation
service can be of great help in keeping the land as
productive as possible.
We learned quite a lot about what the service
does last summer when Hugh Bennett was here for the
field day and when we prepared a special edition of
this paper on soil conservation. Everything We learned
convinced us that the service is filling a very great need
throughout the nation.
At that time we became aware of the fact that in
many instances there is a direct connection between
proper conservation practices on the bench lands above
and results on soils in the valleys below. We learned
that conservation practices may be Of benefit not only
to one farm, but to neighboring lands as we'll.
We heard some discussion of including all of the
county in the district at that time, and we decided it
would be a good idea.
One of the most important things about the Soil
Conservation service, aside from it's main functions of
soil analysis and research and its recommendations for
building and saving the soil, is the fact that it is ut
terly democratic. No farmer or land owner need ask
for the assistance of the service unless he wants it. I'm
less he is sure it can bring his profits and advantages,
he can leave it alone. The supervisors of the district
are elected by the people in the area affected by the
district, not those in town, but those actually on the
land or who own the land.
We understand that the state committee may turn
thumbs down on the addition if the vote is so. light
that it indicates there is not enough interest in the area
to make the work of the service worth while. We hope
that there are enough farmers and land owners in Big
Horn county who are interested in maintaining the
productivity of the land to convince the committee that
the extension of the district can bring results.
I'VE hope everyone will cast a vote in this election
who is qualified to do so, and that includes the Crow
Indian land owners and farmers as well as the whites.
We believe very sincerely that the Soil Conserva-
ton service will mean a great deal to the security of
Big Horn county in future years.