12 



Land Planning Report 



crops (cotton and tobacco), it is not certain, however, 

 that individual famihes could well operate larger 

 acreages. 



Much of the land is in woods, although notably 

 less than in the adjoining cut-over region. It is 

 believed that a more effective use of much of the 

 forest land would add materially to community income. 

 The region is desirable for forest production, as it con- 

 tains valuable, rapidly growing native species, and is 

 relatively accessible to the large wood markets. 



Western Gulf Coastal Plain. — Major adjustments 

 advocated: (1) Increasing size of farms to obtain 

 economic units and to facilitate erosion control; (2) 

 introducing measures to control erosion on farms, 

 without necessitating increase in size of farms. 



In character of landscape, that part of the rolling 

 Coastal Plain west of the Mississippi River resembles 

 that to the east in Mississippi and Alabama. No 

 doubt the shorter period of agricultural use, and there- 

 fore of erosion, wliich tliis region has undergone, as 

 compared with that east of the Mississippi, helps to 

 explain the difference in adjustments recommended in 

 regions which superficially resemble each other. 



The changes toward larger farms advocated for much 

 of this region, is apparently an attempt to anticipate 

 the effect of too intensive cotton and corn cropping 

 which is in evidence in certain longer-settled regions, 

 by permitting reduction in intensity of cropping and 

 by introducing more pasture. Control of the process 



of erosion by land management can, it is believed, pre- 

 vent the impairment of land resources to a point beyond 

 the margin of economic agriculture. 



This region further resembles the southeastern hilly 

 cotton and tobacco region in the high percentage of 

 land operated by share tenants, and in the low aver- 

 age income per farm family. The problem of land 

 tenure is an outstanding one throughout most of this 

 region, and the most desirable measures of adjustment 

 for its solution are not readily apparent. The matter 

 of soil conservation is closely related to the system of 

 land tenure, and its satisfactory establishment will 

 probably depend on a change in the character of tenure. 



Palouse Wheat Region. — Major adjustment advo- 

 cated: Instituting measures of erosion control without 

 necessitating change in size of farm. The Palouse 

 wheat region, as defined here, embraces the better 

 watered and agriculturally superior part of the Co- 

 lumbia Plateau wheat region. Wheat yields exceed 

 those in most other cash grain farming areas. Erosion 

 is active and is accentuated by the practice of rotating 

 wheat with fallow. It is believed that measures to 

 control erosion are essential to the continued stability 

 of agriculture in the region. 



6. Non-Problem Regions, 

 Having Little Agriculture 



The remaining regions have httle or no agriculture 

 and no very important problems of land use. 



