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Show Soil, Water Conservation Problems Have Economic floots - Hutchinson Soil and water conservation problems have economic roots, Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Agricul-ture Knox T. Hutchinson recently re-cently told a meeting of the National Rivers and . Harbors Congress at Washington, D. C. "Rapidly plunging farm income in-come is a storm warning." "First, the ordinary reaction to falling income is to increase production by mining the soil . . . . But-, this practice sets the spurs to erosion and fertility losses. "Second, conservation costs money in cash and often In temporary reductions in farm income. Even some of our stouthearted stout-hearted conservationists forget this fact and expect farmers to live up to their stewardship of the land without the cash and capital for the essential work. . . , "Farmers need real backing-all backing-all the way to carry the main burden of the nation's efforts to retain its reserves in fertility and its resources in topsoil . . . sensible and workable income supports have a proper place in conservation. "But our programs should do more than protect farm income. Farmers should be encouraged to undertake the types of farming, farm-ing, especially livestock and grassland enterprises, which are best designed to maintain our resources as well as to feed and clothe the nation. . . "In its fundamental s e n s e, gped farming, which is the basis bas-is of soil conservation, is nothing noth-ing more nor less than the use of those resources to the best advantage of the farmer, the community, and the nation . . . conservation work must dovetail with going farm operations which must pay their own way and yield returns over and above net out-of-pocket costs. Even when the government offers of-fers reimbursement in part for conservation, the farmer's share of the cost usually far outweighs the government's contribution. "The dual objectives of pro- duction arid conservation require re-quire a unified approach. On individual farms the treatment of cropland, forest, and range forms one over-all farm problem prob-lem . . . the relationship of water wa-ter to land has primary impro-tance impro-tance whether the problem is erosion control, conservation of water for crop production, sate removal of excess water, or bringing water to arid lands. What we do on upstream forests and ranges has a bearing on flood control farther downstream. The impact of conservation on the farm goes beyond flood control and irrigation and influences our fish and wildlife resources, recreational opportunities, and water supplies for navigation and for domestic and industrial uses. ... "We should begin to meet the challenge of floods back on the farm. Here we can summon the aid of our strongest allies the, land itself the furrow contoured con-toured across the scopes terraces ter-races and waterways and ponds and trees and grass. Upstream dams have their, place in conservation. con-servation. But they offer at best only temporary benefits unless un-less they are supported by good farming. |
