74 COMMISSION ON COUNTRY LIFE 



greater erosion of stream banks when soil matter 

 is carried in suspension. 



Loss of soil by washing is a serious menace to 

 the fertility of the American farm. A high 

 authority on this subject recently made the 

 statement that soil wash is "the heaviest impost 

 borne by the American farmer." 



The wood-lot property of the country needs 

 to be saved and increased. Wood-lot yield is one 

 of the most important crops of the farm, and is 

 of great value to the public in controlling streams, 

 saving the run-off, checking winds, and in adding 

 to the attractiveness of the region. In many 

 regions, where poor and hilly lands prevail, the 

 town or county could well afford to purchase 

 forest land, expecting thereby to add to the value 

 of the property and eventually to make the 

 forests a source of revenue. Such communal 

 forests in Europe yield revenue to the cities and 

 towns by which they are owned and managed. 



(d) RESTRAINT OF TRADE. 



The Commission has heard much complaint, 

 in all parts of the country and by all classes of 

 farmers, of injustice, inequalities and discrimina- 



