Show el erosion ision raids take high hig h toll to 11 CHICAGO erosions Ero raids on soil fertility are costing the united states nearly four billion dollars annually according to ibe the middle west soil improvement committee the extent of this yearly damage is indicated by recent U S soil conservation service estimates that wind and water erosion re moves 21 times as much plant food from the nations farm soil each year as is taken out by crops sold off that land the committee reports dr H H bennett chief of the conservation service places the annual loss as a result of uncontrolled erosion and water runoff at he estimates that thai nearly one billion acres of the nations farm lands need soil conservation treatment to protect them from erosion and to maintain their productivity it is clearly evident that eternal vigilance Is a must it if our greatest larm farm asset soil fertility is to be preserved dr bennett insists the recent wartime burden on farm land to produce record yields to speed victory has been succeeded by an equally heavy peacetime load to produce crops to meet the worldwide world wide food crisis the soil improvement group declares adding that the only remedy that will rescue overworked farm land from eventual fertility exhaustion Is a program of effective soil rebuilding pointing out that any soil reh rehabilitating abill plan should be all 4 rounded the committee says it should include the raising of legumes to improve soil filth and to increase its resources of matter regular crop rotation steady use of mixed fertilizer containing nitrogen phosphorus and potash and pasture improvement |