Show I The Land Do Doctor tor torn By n Vivian Shearer I like to think of topsoil as a crop that grows on this old earth earthlike earthlike earthlike like apples grow on apple trees and wool grows on sheep Although Although Although Al Al- though there are arc different kinds of topsoil like there are different different different differ differ- ent kinds of corn some corn some early and some late still It does take a alot alot alot lot longer to grow any kind of or ofa ora a crop of topsoil than It does tai to grow a crop of almost a anything else Clays in general take longer to grind and mellow and become charged with life than do the sandy soils solIs Dr H. H H. H Bennett Dennett chief of oC the U. U S S. S Soil Conservation Conserva Conserva- tion service has written that It probably took not less than years to develop each Inch of the Shelby loam which covers a large part of northern Missouri to a depth of six to eight inches He estimates that each inch of Piedmont soil of South Carolina Carolina Carolina Caro Caro- lina probably did not mature Inless in inless inless less than 1000 years rears Kind of growing I would say some say some three or four or ori i five fhe thousand years ears to grow this priceless film of topsoil that seldom seldom seldom sel sel- sel- sel dom exceeds the depth of a shovel blade But Dut Is only takes the twinkling of an eye so to toI I speak to lose it When we think of the centuries it takes to grow even and inch of it we realize that it can be nothing less than vicious to use our land so that this precious film may bo be lost When we stop to think of the intricate and wonderfully efficient efficIent efficient effic effic- creative processes of topsoil topsoil top- top soil growth In which all forms of life lifo and all the elements have havea havel a l part we must pause for a moI moment moment mo mo- mo- mo I ment in reverent awe Last week I discussed the soil down through the A and B D horizons the horizons the layers that make stake up the solum or soil The Tho solum in turn rests upon a layer of parent arent material which is tho the substance resulting from the weathering of rock base and which has not been touched by bythe bythe bythe the soil solI forming processes Below Delow this parent material or C horizon lies the parent rock the rock rocky framework of the earth which averages some miles in thickness This Is the D horizon In many places any one or orall orall orall all of these various horizons or layers mo may be absent with the exception of the tho D horizon Wo We always have the rocky framework framework framework frame frame- work under us wherever we are When we want to be rally technical technical technical tech tech- and feel like splitting a afew afew few Cew hairs wo we subdivide all of or orthe the layers Into several so more sub sub- layers But nut for the present you OU will leave all such finer subdivisions subdivisions subdivisions visions to the bespectacled scientists scientists sd- sd In their laboratories and more more power to them for It is through their mysterious labors that we have come to learn what soil really Is and how best to use It and to save it And we need to save it for forIt forit It H is a disturbing thought indeed In Indeed indeed in- in deed that as our bur population in increases increases increases in- in creases with inci Increased eased demand for for more moro production from our land that our topsoil Is dwindling away like Uke sand In ill Inan illan inan an hour glass |