Show STUDIES OF SOIL ta EROSION LOSSES MADE BY STATES A measure of the nationwide interest in controlling soil erosion and water runoff la Is found in the latest report of the united states department of agriculture on the work of ct the state experiment stations with the annual loss from soil erosion estimated at not less than the department in operation cooperation co with experiment stat stations lons and other state agencies Is attacking the problem along two lines research as to the best ways to control erosion Is lin asing L in carried on in all parts of the united states control measures thus discovered tire are put to immediate use by civilian conservation corps boys who in more than a dozen states are planting trees and other soil binding crops building terraces and building dams to control flood water frosien studies at the alabama and texas stations show that terraces while necessary on all cultivated land subject to erosion are not alone sufficient to prevent losses of soil between terraces fertile soil and needed ater are lost by shoot erosion and run off these stations have shown that this loss can be reduced by strips of cover crops supplementing the terraces ciL the iowa station has shown by extensive tests that many farms are being washed away at the rate of I 1 foot ethry SO 0 years when corn Is grown continuously the loss takes place at about 1 foot every 35 36 years when corn rows run across the slope the losses are cut in half losses from land in alfalfa clover and blue bine gross grass tire very small when sweet clover was plowed under soil and water losses were strikingly reduced front from the far west the washington station estatio n reports results of studies on so soil 11 representative of large areas arcis in eastern washington winter wheat yielded only one tenth or one half as many bushels per acre on land which harlost had lost its because of erosion yields 0 of spring wheat were eien ei en less favorable here too it was proven that vegetation whether of grasses legumes or even grain stubble went it long way toward cork con trolling soil soft and water losses |