50 



Land Planning Report 



Research, analysis, study, andcoordinationof the vari- 

 ous aspects of land problems need to be a continuing 

 process. The problems of and recommendations for 

 submarginal land are only part of a larger program. 

 It is important, therefore, that the present treatise on 

 submarginal lands should not be viewed as an attempt 

 to answer the problem solely in terms of having the 

 Federal Government purchase such lands and take 

 them out of agric\ilture. Families will need to be 

 moved in the process; they must be moved to locations 

 where greater opportunities and better living will be 

 afforded them. Methods of preventing future settle- 

 ment in areas which are unsuited to agricultural pur- 

 suits will need to be invoked. Consideration will have 

 to be given to soil conservation. These and other 



problems are implicit in any sort of an adequate sub- 

 marginal-land program; and on the other hand, pro- 

 grams which comprehend primarily other social and 

 economic aspects of the land ciuestion will require the 

 consideration of submarginal-land problems. 



In view of the great importance, size, and character 

 of our Nation's land problems, the operations and 

 experiences of the present submarginal-land policy, 

 integrated with accompan\'ing pohcies and programs, 

 may be looked upon as a tremendously large demon- 

 strational program upon which a thoroughgoing, long- 

 time plan for the readjustment of our land use pattern 

 to its highest economic and social values may be 

 projected. 



Table IV. — Number of farms, haroested acreage, and acreage in important crops on the farms proposed for retirement 



tin thousands] 



Region 



1. Northeastern Highlands 



2. Southern Highlands and margins. 



3. Southeastern hilly cotton and tobacco 



4. Oreat Lakes cut-over__ 



5. Atlantic and Gulf Coast cut-over 



6. Pacific forest and cut-over 



7. Western Great Plains 



8. California valleys and foothills 



9. Columbia Basin 



10. Arid grazing and irrigated 



11 and 12. Northeast and Central agricultural — 



14 and 15. Gulf Coast prairie and Mississippi Delta.. 



16. Middle Coastal plain. 



United States 



Percent of the United States total for each item in 1929. 

 Percent of the harvested acreage on farms proposed for 



retirement 



Num- 

 ber of 

 farms 

 to be 

 retired 



Number 



5C.3 



125.5 



122.7 



27.5 



30.5 



13.3 



26.0 



9.5 



2.8 



7.3 



15.4 



16.6 



6.8 



454.2 



7.2 



Total 

 har- 

 vested 

 acres 



Acres 



1.409.5 



1.397.7 



2. 365. 6 



972.4 



466.1 



273.9 



6. 546. 8 



524.0 



776.2 



536.4 



603.7 



441.0 



277.1 



16,590.4 



4.6 



Acreages of the various crops to be retired 



Hay 



Acres 



1, 033. 



365.0 



179. 2 



544.2 



14.6 



163.7 



1,365.0 



131.4 



105.8 



268.5 



193.0 



34.9 



26.2 



4, 444. 4 



6.6 



26.8 



Wheat 



Acre> 

 21.6 

 32.6 

 63.8 

 31.2 



31.0 

 2, 480. 



43.0 

 617.5 

 195.1 



29.4 



3, 545. 2 

 5.7 



Corn 



Acres 



98.0 



604.0 



876.0 



108.3 



161.6 



3.7 



913.0 



8.2 



1.0 



13.1 



203.2 



135.8 



108.3 



3, 234. 1 



3.4 



19.5 



Oats 



Acres 



132.6 



94.1 



71.2 



153.7 



2.5 



18.0 



309.0 



13.0 



3.6 



12.6 



77.4 



15.4 



2.3 



965.1 



2.6 



Barley 



Acres 

 6.0 



31.4 



5.7 

 303.0 

 77.5 

 10.3 

 19.0 



3.7 



456.5 

 3.5 



Rye 



Acres 



6.5 



3.7 



2.5 



24.4 



23.1 



63.2 

 2.1 



Cotton 



Acres 



177.0 

 938.2 



236.0 



2.0 



171.3 



86.6 



1,611.1 



3.7 



9.3 



Tobac- 



Acres 



3.8 



4S.4 



2.5 



6.6 



58.5 



3.2 



Potato 



Acres 



31.7 



16.3 



6.1 



43.3 



1.5 



2.1 



11.9 



1.1 



1.5 



5.6 



5.5 



3.3 



.3 



130.2 



4.4 



Sweet- 

 potato 



7.5 

 36.9 



11.0 



14.1 

 2.7 

 72.1 

 11.1 



.4 



Buck- 

 wheat 



Acres 

 37.2 



37.2 

 6.0 



Flax 



299.01 

 10.1 



I Preliminary estimates based on reports from the State land planning consultants. 



