Show Terrace an and Save Soil Says Expert Losses by Heavy Rains Can Thus Be Reduced to Minimum by the tho th United States t I part D vart- vart ment of or A Service Washing away of ot fertile top soil from cultivated soils in north central central central cen cen- Missouri by heavy rains is reduced reduced re re- I to a remarkable minimum when the land is terraced properly says A. A T. T Holman of the bureau of ot agricultural engineering United States Department of ot Agriculture who has charge of ot the experiments at the tho federal erosion experiment farm arm at B Bethany Mo His statement I Is based upon accurate measurements measurements measurements measure measure- ments of soil soU losses at nt the tho farm in 1931 1031 from terraced land planted in corn Measurements were made on both level and graded terraces planted to corn during a period when the rainfall was from 50 to 00 per cent In excess cess of the normal for northern northern north north- ern Missouri The data dat so far far obtained obtained ob ob- t Indicate that l level vel terraces or those with small grades are more desirable In this region than terraces with 6 Inches fall tall In feet teet The measurements show comparatively little soil soU loss from sheet erosion and no formation of ot gullies Soil losses from areas on the farm tarm planted to corn averaged averaged aver aver- aged tons an acre acre 50 50 to times Umes as great as the losses from terraced land lano The une average loss loss from terraced te land in three cornfields corn cornfields cornfields fields land varying In slope from 8 to 16 10 feet In a hundred was 23 tons an acre The smallest loss was little little lit lIt- tle more than one ton an acre It occurred on land with an average slope of ot 15 feet teet in a hundred protected protected pro pro- protected by level terraces On a steep rough hillside planted plant plant- ed in corn with t terraces having 2 inches fall In feet and corn rows parallel to the terrace lines the soil soli carried a away way was only 85 pounds more than one ton per acre These experiments show v that even when steep land Is planted to corn and even in a year when the seasonal rains are both numerous and heavy erosion losses are almost negligible if It the land is protected properly with terraces rOn r f fOn rOn On terraces that had grades of 6 Inches in feet more than twice as much soil was lost as on oa level terraces According to measurements measurements measurements measure measure- ments ton of soil an ac acre e was lost with level terraces as compared with tons an acre with terraces having Inch 0 grades |