Maladjustments in Land Use 



47 



was for several decades a bonanza wheat producer. 

 \Anieat yields here (today) exceed those in other cash- 

 grain areas. 



While for many years, wheat was practically the 

 only commodity grown, single cropping has during the 

 last decade tended to give way to a more rational 

 system of crop rotation, wherein peas and forage crops 

 alternate with wheat. 



Localh- the region is divided into sections known in 

 common parlance as the "Spokane, Palouse, Clear- 

 water, and Walla Walla districts." Of these the 

 Palouse "country" or district is perhaps the most 

 representative, and its name might serve to character- 

 ize the whole region. 



There is a limited amount of land within the region 

 wliich is submarginal for agricultural use, but the total 

 amount is so small as not to warrant discussion. Wind 

 erosion is active along the western margin, but soil 

 destruction by sheet washing and gulleying is pro- 

 ceeding almost wholesale over large portions of the 

 region. If this be not checked, much good land will be 

 reduced to submarginal status within a few decades. 



Nonproblem Regions 

 Containing Little Agriculture 



Northern Maine. — Approximately 6,000 square miles 

 of land in northern Maine are unsuited for agriculture. 

 Indeed, the region contains but little population, but 

 instead is almost wholly under forest cover. It is 

 significant that this is one of the few large areas in the 

 United States where forests have been satisfactorily 

 maintained under private ownership. This is in 

 part due to the lack of interspersed agricultural settle- 



ment, which make local governmental organization and 

 the provision of public services unnecessarj'. 



Under these conditions, taxation of forest land is 

 very low and the owners of timberland can afford to 

 hold title to it and to plan for future managed produc- 

 tion, meanwliile merely payhig noniinal taxes to provide 

 for fire protection. Since the lando\vners know that 

 they will not be called upon to support local govern- 

 ment, the3' are not tempted to destructively exploit 

 the forest resources and then abandon the land. 

 Neither are they tempted to sell their land to agricul- 

 tural settlers and thus create a region of scattered 

 "problem" farming, as in most other forest and cut- 

 over regions. Therefore the area remains in forest and 

 gives promise of perpetual timber production under 

 private management. 



Southern Rocki/ Mountains. — For the most part this 

 is a nonagricultural region, although within it there are 

 extensive areas which are devoted to fanning and 

 grazing. A large proportion of the more rugged areas 

 is in national forest. 



Central Rocky Mountains. — This region contains the 

 Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, and 

 the Shoshone Indian Reservation. Practically aU 

 of the remainder is in national forest. 



Northern Rocky Mountains. — A very large part of 

 this region is in national forest, national park, or Indian 

 reservation. The foothill areas are for the most part 

 devoted to ranch pastoralism. Considerable agricul- 

 tural development is to be found in the mountain 

 valleys, the markets for wliich he in the mining centers. 

 As a general rule, this agriculture exliibits no major 

 maladjustments. 



