Show Facing National Erosion Problem Rapid Depletion of Fertility of Farm Soils Seen as Big Evil Pr d by the th 4 Its d Blat 01 VV t NU Bervic which The most serious problem today Is confronts American farmers formers ot of the rapid depletion of ot the fertility their soils by man Induced erosion be recognized ns asan which has come to nn an evil of or such national proportions that the government through the Unit United United United ed States Department of ot Agriculture has bas within the past two tt years rears fished seven regional exp eX experiment St st methods method ot of practical to work worl out erosion control members of or the Aiso AssO o- o elatIon of ot American were told at their annual meeting In Wor Wor- Worcester Worcester cester caster Mass by H II II Bennett In charge of soil coll erosion In ot of the bureau of or chemistry and soils or of orthe the department Much Land Suffering Not less than 75 per cent or of all th cultivated land of ot the United Stites 18 suffering from erosion in some de- de de degree much gree-much gree much of ot It seriously said Mr rr Bennett quoting from data dati compiled from topographic maps soil soli sun surreys eys and erosion surveys s which show that In c certain major farming regions morE than 00 JO per cent of all the land of ot some counties Is being Impo Impoverished by sheet erosion The The top soil soli of the of the country Is not nearly o so o deep as corn com commonly supposed This was recently dIscovered when wIlen the average a depth ot of ota ofa ofa a large number of representative e up up- upland up- up upland upland land surface soil samples collected from 34 31 states was ns found to be only 0 Inches Material Less Production When this vital layer Is remo ed the material left for crop crOll production Is 18 much less productive e This Ire fre consists of clay which is Ie more difficult and costly to till Is less ab of ot rain water ater and dries out more quickly In periods of drought It Is at this stage t when thell hell the e soil Is wished off ocr that lint gully gull v devel development development development usually sets In slid Mr Sir Bennett Ben nen Bennett nett who pointed out that sheet sheel erosIon though les less conspicuous than Is bv by far the more damn damaging form of soil wishing These e t two 0 o forms of erosion he said re- re remove remove re remove move from the farm lands of the Unit United United United ed States plant food with Ith an nn estimated l alue of hundreds of millions of ot dol dollars tars lars Stations for soil erosion pre pr-e n hate e been located In Oklahoma Olahoma Mis Missour sour Bourl Kansas Texas Teens and North Caro Caro- Carolina Carolina Carolina lina Many farmers have hatie already stud led erosion prevention practices at the e stations In Oklahoma and Texas Mr Ir Bennett says that the national l pro program program program gram for erosion prevention calls fot foi such experiment stations st In 20 0 O or mora mor e ot of the major regions In which the et e ces lve soil soli washing Is known to be b e costly |