The Washing of Soils 147 



deep plowing had been practiced there would never be 

 any great gathering of water on the surface to rush down 

 in one torrent. Then, added to the deep breaking and 

 the proper rotation and cover crops we need the shallow 

 and level cultivation to prevent a head of water gathering. 

 We need the shallow cultivation, too, to preserve the mois- 

 ture in the soil by checking the evaporation at the surface 

 and not turning up the moist soil below to be dried out. 



But there is another sort of washing that is going on in 

 all parts of the country where there are hills and running 

 streams. The banks of the streams have been completely 

 cleared and cultivated to the margin, and when the freshets 

 come the banks cave in and the soil is washed away to 

 choke the rivers. After every rain storm one can see the 

 result of this washing in the soil-burdened waters that go 

 flowing to the great rivers and choking the harbors. This 

 has been the result of the clearing of the lowlands right to 

 the borders of the streams instead of leaving a bordering 

 of small trees and shrubs to bind the banks. Streams in 

 every part of the country are thus wasting the soil, most 

 of which could be prevented by setting willow cuttings 

 along the banks, and keeping the tops cut back annually 

 to prevent too tall a growth to shade adjoining crops. 



