relinquishment of submarginal and marginal cropped lands 

 to vegetative cover and to ponds, reservoirs, and marshes; 

 more intensive occupancy and cropping of superior lands; 

 adoption of revised agricultural practices to eliminate erosion 

 and promote infiltration. 



The master objective should be rural rehabilitation, and 

 control and use of little waters one means of achieving it. There 

 would undoubtedly be conflicts that would have to be re- 

 solved. Promotion of health and sanitation might conflict 

 in some instances with the promotion of absorption and infil- 

 tration. A reservoir, notwithstanding its many other benefits, 

 would probably not offer healthful drinking water, unless 

 properly treated and purified. Where there are such con- 

 flicts, health and sanitation must be the dominating factors and 

 must be regarded first. Works must provide whenever feasible 

 for live rather than dead waters. And with respect to dead 

 waters, it should be borne in mind that if we handle them in 

 the light of modern biology and chemistry, the malarial pond 

 or swamp of pioneer experience need not offer an insuperable 

 problem. The early swamp with its accumulation of rotting 

 vegetation was one thing; modern reservoirs or ponds in 

 which fish and fowl are abundant have biologic processes 

 which are the enemy of mosquito-borne diseases, especially 

 malaria and yellow fever. We shall indicate later in what a 

 rational manner the French farmers handle this matter. 



One of the basic conditions of action is that physical 

 factors have no regard for line fences between farms or for 

 political boundaries. The rain that falls on one farm may 

 flow onto and erode a neighboring farm; even small streams 

 usually traverse several townships or counties; an under- 

 ground reservoir may underlie a very large area. Therefore, 

 although detailed efforts must be those of individual farmers 

 and small community groups, these should fit into plans and 

 programs which are as extensive as the area of the particular 

 definable problem. 



The area of the problem of regulation and use of little 

 waters is coextensive with the area of the United States, but 

 any national program must consist of coordinated programs 



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