The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1956-05-03

farm buying power in motivating
businessmen and countless others
to support conservation work.
A farmer or rancher finds
pleasure in the beauty Of his
conServation-treated fields, pas
lures, woodlands, and wildlife
areas. And | feel that all the
rest of us share his pleasure as
we drive by or fly over his
acres; or, when we're extra for
tunate, have a chance to feel
healthy soil or vigorous sod be-
meath our feet, or join the owner
in harvesting wildlife crop
more abundant now than a few
years ago.
But there is another important
motivating force for conserva-
ton.
| believe it IS the fast growing
realization in every community
know about that wise use and
treatment of soil is moral res
ponsibility-that soil is gift
of the Creator, and that we, all
of US, have a stewards respon-
sibility for it.
Unless we pause to consider
the spiritual man, we may be
| amazed by this spread of the
soil stewardship concept in a
time when we are troubled by
temporary crop surpluses and
when only one person in Is act
ually tills the soil for a living.
Unless we accept as fact
that men do recognize the spirit
ual values of soil and water con-
Servation, we are unable to eX-
plain fully the personal sacrifices
thousands of them make to serve
as members of the governing
boards of nearly 2,700 locally,
organized and managed Soil Con-
servation Districts. These men
and there are some women or
these governing boards-already
are conservation farmers OF
ranchers. They already are, per,
sonally, reaping the materia
benefits of greater net income
lower production costs, anc
greater efficiency in the use O
labor and machinery that come:
| with conservation
| But these local leaders can
not, and do not, expect materia
gain from their services as Dis
trict supervisors, commissioners
or directors. They receive M
salaries. In some states, they are
not even reimbursed in part fol
their expenses.
| They surely must be motivatec
| by the truth of the psalmist'
| words: The earth is the Lord
and the fulness thereof i.
They are heading the Creator
command, when he placed MAJ
in the Garden of Eden, ito dres
it and to keep it"
| i believe that the technician
of the Soil Conservation Ser
vice have this same conception
How else could we explain tn
countless extra hours, beyon'
the call of duty, which they de
vote to soil and water conserva
ton?
| And, throughout the nation
ministers are providing tn
| spiritual leadership of soil stew
ardship. Thousands of them eacl
| year take soil stewardship as tn
text of sermons, and provide
continuing leadership anon
! their congregations for recogni
ton that the earth truly is tn
, Lords.
l. To those of us who are sol
conservationist by profession a
well as by conviction, the eX
panding conception of soil stew
| ardship is indeed heartening.
For we know that man and tn
soil remain inseparable, all tech
| biological and cultural advance
notwithstanding.
| Man still obtains his food an
most of his clothing and shelte
from the dust of the earth. An
this dust of the earth,' Whe
kept in the balance in which
created, is wonderful com
posite of minerals and myriad
of living, decaying plants an
animals. It is a storehouSe c
, abundance for past, present, an
future generations tremeno
Gus reservoir to trap and stor
for use more of the water Whic
at one time may come in ragin
. floods and at another season be
come insufficient for the need
of thirsty crops, animals, citie'
| and industries, and man hin,