cutting; blackberries, cranberries and other shrubs bearing 

 edible fruits could be replanted and be made a source of 

 income where the climate and soil conditions are such as to 

 constitute their respective native habitats. Such cover 

 would also attract birds, rabbits, and other wildlife, which 

 could be made a source of income. Incidentally, here and 

 there infiltration and maintenance of the groundwater 

 supply would be promoted, and these plots would stand 

 ready to be incorporated into a community plan of zoning 

 and reestablishment of extensive swamp, marsh and wet 

 lands, a matter to be considered later in this report. 



It is not the thought that every owner could or should do 

 all of the things that have been suggested, for conditions 

 vary. But certainly everyone can plan for the long run, 

 which involves conservation insofar as possible of his prin- 

 cipal assets land and water. Everyone can and should 

 make a judicious selective use of the various parts of his 

 land. Everyone can and should cultivate his tilled lands in 

 the manner which conserves his assets by crop rotation, 

 contour plowing, efficient cultivation, and some practicable 

 degree of terracing and strip-planting. Supplementary to these 

 he can by check dams and similar retarding devices control 

 gullies where they have appeared, for these represent an 

 advanced form of loss of his principal asset. In addition 

 to such control measures each landowner should explore 

 seriously the extent to which he can check-dam creeks and 

 other small streams, and establish for himself a reservoir for 

 the numerous benefits which have been enumerated. Every 

 farm is a problem by itself, and measures for the conserva- 

 tion and proper utilization of the soil and water must be 

 undertaken in terms of its combination of conditions. 



[b] THE SMALL COMMUNITY 



On the principle that, speaking broadly, problems must be 

 solved by beginning to make corrections at the remotest 

 points of origin, the problems of water conservation and soil 

 erosion control should first be solved on the lands of indi- 

 vidual owners, as has been discussed above. The next logi- 

 cal step is removal of unfavorable or promotion of more 

 favorable community conditions. Community action can 



62 



