Laurel outlook., 1950-03-29
SPEAKER MENTIONS FIRST
ROADSIDE IDENTIFICATION


unirrigated areas, extension and
thickening of sod of the grass
lands, and reforesting of slopes
from which crops of timber have
been harvested were among favor
ed restorative measures discussed
March % by Mrs. H. T.. Winters,
who spoke of "Vanishing Lands"
at g. meeting of the Laurel Garden
club. The meeting was at the. home
of Mrs. j. R. Heebner, with Mrs.
P. A. Johnston presiding and Mrs.
X. ". Easton and Mrs. G. H. Bar
ney as co-hostesses.
Drops of water and grains of
sand do make the mighty ocean
and the pleasant land, but the
water can wash away the sand
too. And then there was the dust
bowl period when the wind blew
away the valuable soil, which led
to contour farming and it's allied
strip farming.
I The two latter have given very
good results in stemming the loss
of land, and with identifying
shelter belts of trees they have
helped to prevent return of the
distressing sight of good soil piling
up to submerge fence posts. Con-
touring was aimed at hating ero-
sion in some regions; here, alter
mating strips of crop and fallow
land, which are reversed each year,
have been of advantage.
Planting of trees and seeding of
grass in the gullies and draws help
to stop further washing. Deeper
gullies and ravines should be filled
with rocks to slow up the runoff
water, then covered with earth and
seeded to grass. A blanket of vege-
tation is the surest check to wash
ing.
Indiscriminate timbering of for
ests led to erosion and flooding,
now being overcome by replanting
of the forests. The speaker said:
"There was acre upon acre Of
virgin timber standing in central
Wisconsin in 1900, but numbering
outfits moved in in a wholesale
manner, a large mill was erected,
and the massacre began. One man
alone owned II lumber camps near
town. His boast was, given 20 years
there would not be a marketable
foot of timber left standing. They
even exceeded this, and in IS years
the mill was closed and dismantled.
Trees that were of no value at the
time were cut and burned to get
them out of the way. Now, that
section of the state has grown UP
to soft wood of no particular value,
and the land has been given over
to diversified farming. The farmers
have erosion to fight, where, if this
same growth had been timbered
.discreetly as is being done now,
numbering would still be a major
industry, land would have suffered
less from erosion, and fewer acres
would have been removed from
good farm land in the crop control
program.
planting windbreaks has been
very effective in the dust bowl
areas; also the abandonment of
the moldboard pillow. Newer meth
DDS for cultivating before seeding
leaves the straw from the former
crop chopped into the soil to hold
Ii against the wind and rain, and
to form a mulch to hold moisture
in the soil. Ed Faulkner has writ
ten a book, 'Plowman's Folly,' in
which he depicts absolute ruin of
the top soil unless the moldboard
pillow is abandoned. His book nat
is considered highly radical
by many, but there is much to be
said In favor of his plan.
"Our garden club roadside beau
LITIGATION is not only to make our
highways beautiful as far as trees
and plants are concerned, but to
stop the erosion which causes I'M
gullies along the roadway.
In our semi-arid region there will
be more obstacles to be surmount.
ed than in moister sections. But
Montana is doing what can be
done. The old Japanese man who
scattered hollyhock seed along the
road west of town years ago had
the right idea. He said the flowers
would be pretty and the plants
would keep the edge of the road
rom breaking off. l think that was
The first. roadside Identification in
our locality"
The club will have a potluck
Inner for the husbands of men,
'ers Thursday evening this week
at the parish hall. The next sched-
lied meeting will be April Is at
he home of Mrs. R. G. Colson, with
Yrs. Hugh Phelps cohostess.
Mr.. and Mrs. George Scherper. |