Save the 



Top Soil 



Here's How Illinois Farmers 

 Are Doing It 



EDWARDSVILLE, MADISON COUNTY 

 Erosion the result oi continuous cultivation oi slopes on the 

 L. Bloemke farm. Soil is Elco silt loam. The average slope 

 is 20 per cent 



Heavy rains the latter part of May and 

 early June throughout Illinois again re- 

 sulted in washing thousands of tons of 

 valuable top soil down hill into streams, 

 ponds, and low, level areas. Short, light 

 colored stands of small grains on hill 

 sides during June offer mute testimony to 

 the ravages of soil erosion. Some loss 

 from erosion is unavoidable but most of 



it can be prevented by better farming 

 practices such as many farmers have been 

 following for years. 



On this page are illustrations of gully- 

 ing, sheet erosion, and methods farmers 

 are using in cooperation with the Soil 

 Conservation Service to combat the worst 

 scourge of rich undulating and rolling 

 farm lands. "Save the surface and you 



save all" is just as good a slogan for 

 farmers as it is for paint manufacturers. 

 More grass land, contour planting, buffer 

 strips, intelligent crop rotation, and leav- 

 ing wide strips of grass for waterways are 

 all being practiced by farmers who be- 

 lieve in leaving the farm as good or bet- 

 ter than they found it. Soil erosion is 

 farm enemy No. 1. Let's treat it so. 



CHESTEBFIELD, MACOUPIN COUNTY 

 SO foot strip of contoured com in a field oi alialia on Mrs. 

 E. Carter farm. The com strip will be followed by oats 

 seeded to alfalfa the following year. 



LAWRENCEVILLE, LAWRENCE COUNTY 

 Terrace outlet sodded in the fall of 1936 on Cleo Cook 

 farm. Drainage is 12 acres. Excess water from the terraced 

 field is guided over to this grass waterway where it slowly 

 soaks in or walks down hill. 



PEAHL PIKE COUNTY 

 Here are 10 alternating strips of soybeans and oats with 

 grasses in the oats. The grass strips will be permanent 

 The other strips have a rotation oi soybeans, winter barley, 

 and red clover. Scene on W. B. Dillon farm. 



EDWARDSVILLE, MADISON COUNTY i" 1 

 Sheet erosion and gullying on Alfred Schaefer farm. The 

 erosion here resulted after the entire slope (18 per cent) was 

 seeded for pasture in the fall. The slope is receiving only 

 the rain falling directly on it as it is protected by the terrace 

 above. Entire slope should not be plowed at the same time 

 for the first seeding. 



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