

1-20 



SEE- rO ACRES CLOVEP. 

 TONS of LIMESTONE + J COWS 

 PER. ACRE — 



THE soil conservation program is 

 fast developing into a battle of 

 the lead pencils. Figures are go- 

 ing 'round and around and where and 

 when they come out is something that 

 promKes to make a lot of grey hairs 

 between now and next fall. Wherever 

 you see two heads together nowadays, 

 you hear such strange words as "soil- 

 depleting," "soiJ-building," "earned 

 payments," "1935 base," "new seeding," 

 "oats clipping," "soil conserving" and a 

 lot of others. 



The "simplified" acreage adjustment 

 program has developed some complica- 

 tions. And while the principles in the 

 new program are not hard to under- 

 stand, their application to all manner 

 and methods of farming leads to many 

 situations requiring special interpreta- 

 tions and rulings by the powers that 

 be. 



Estimates of many farm advisers and 

 county committeemen made shortly 

 after the program was launched indi- 

 cated 80 to 90 per cent performance 

 or co-operation in many counties. A 

 trip through the com belt, dairy and 

 livestock counties during midTApril 

 revealed much interest but apparently 

 little knowledge among farmers of the 

 program. 



Those interviewed were generally 

 disposed to co-operate wherever they 

 could without too drastic a shift in 

 1936 plans. A substantial number have 

 afa^ady made the shift from corn and 

 small grain to clover, alfalfa and grass. 

 Such farmers will have little difficulty 

 in qualifying for payments. In fact, 

 some will not be required to shift their 

 plans at all to come within the maxi- 

 mum 15 per cent reduction of soil- 

 depleting crops for which Class I pay- 

 ments are made. 



But others, particularly in grain- 

 producing counties like Livingston, 

 Ford, Grundy, Iroquois have a more 

 difficult choice. In these counties it is 

 not uncommon to put 85 to 90 per cent 

 of the land under cultivation in corn, 

 small grain and soybeans. Much of this 

 land needs liming. Most of it is oc- 

 cupied by tenants often owned by ab- 

 sentee landlords who may take little 

 active interest in it. 



Township soil conservation commit- 



It's a "Figgerin" Job, 



This Soil Conser- 

 ■: V-: vation /iv^-s::,- 



Lead Pencils Fly as Illinois Farmers Apply 

 New Program to Their Farms — Township 

 Committees [Busy Explaining How It Works 



tees are insisting that those with high 

 soil-depleting bases shift more than 

 the regulation 15 per cent to qualify 

 for maximum payments. The key to 

 the situation in many cases is the 

 landlord and where he does not insist 

 or co-operate in keeping a reasonable 

 acreage in clover and g'-ass, the tenant 

 will have difficulty in qualifying un- 

 der this program. 



Observations made at township meet- 

 ings and in the field justify these con- 

 clusions: (1) com acreage this year 

 promises to be increased rather than 

 reduced, (2) most of the reduction in 

 soil-depleting crops will be taken out 

 of the oats acreage, (3) a heavy yield 

 may bring cheap com next fall, (4) 

 the general tendency of the program 

 over the long swing will be to strength- 

 en feed grain prices, (5) a more defi- 

 nite check on corn acreage must await 

 state legislation. 



In some cases soybeans will be 

 plowed under, particularly where part 

 of the objective is to kill noxious weeds 

 such as Canada thistles and quack 

 grass. Perhaps the greatest acreage of 

 grass and clover seed ever sown went 

 into the ground this spring. While 

 the soil conservation program reduces 

 soil-depleting crop acreage, it also 

 will improve fertility and increase 

 crop yields. A crop of sweet clover or 

 soybeans plowed under green has been 

 known to increase corn yields from 12 

 to 15 bushels per acre. 



What do farmers themselves think 

 about the plan? "I don't know much 

 about it yet." said John Handorf, Jr. 

 of New Lenox Township, Will county. 

 "I missed going to my township meet- 

 ing and I have not read up on it. If it 

 works in with my farming I intend to 

 go along." 



Handorf, a Farm Bureau member, 

 has a 230 acre farm which he and his 

 family operate without additional help. 

 Last year he had 126 acres in soil-de- 

 pleting crops — a low base. This year 

 he is planning to have 136 acres in 



soil-depleting crops, together with 

 about 70 acres of alfalfa, timothy and 

 clover for hay and pasture. He seeds 

 down most of his small grain each 

 year. Unless his soil-depleting base is j 

 increased by the local committee, for 

 which there may be some justification, 

 he will have to reduce corn acreage, 

 clip or pasture his oats and barley or 

 plow up part of his 51 acres of wheat 

 to realize on payments for a maximum 

 15 per cent reduction. 



On April 14, 15 to 20 per cent of Will 

 county farmers had filled out work 

 sheets, committeemen reported at their 

 county-wide meeting. Only 20 to 25 

 per cent of the farmers in this county 

 attended their township meetings. Most 

 oif them are depending on local com- 

 mittee to come around, explain the 

 program and tell them what to do to 

 co-operate. 



In the Farm Bureau office a young 



D. J. BOLS OF AUX SABLE TOWNSHIP 

 "There's a 20 per cent increase in corn acr»- 

 age around hare." 



I. A. A. RECORD 



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