10 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 428 



hoeings. Because of its thick vegetative cover the sunflower plant serves ad- 

 mirably in ridding infested areas of obnoxious weeds. 



Soil Conservation Research Projects. (Karol J. Kucinski and Walter S. Eisen- 

 menger.) 



Physical and Chemical Properties of Wind-Blown Soils. For several years 

 laboratory tests and field observations have been made to determine why cer- 

 tain soils are subject to wind erosion while others are not. A wind tunnel has 

 been used to supplement field observations. 



Because of the unusually small amount of snow cover last winter, 1943-44, 

 dust storms were very severe in the Connecticut River Valley. It was observed 

 at several localities that wind erosion would start as soon as six hours after rain- 

 fall. In such cases the soil that was moved by the wind was the very thin top 

 layer and usually contained less than 1 percent moisture, while the immediate 

 sublayer contained 10 to 20 percent moisture. The application of such com- 

 pounds as urea and lithium carbonate to soils greatly decreased their wind erodi- 

 bility. 



Use of Snow Fencing in Controlling Wind Erosion. One of the problems of 

 Connecticut Valley farmers is the protection of soils and their crops from wind 

 damage. The northwesterly winds which occur during early spring result in 

 considerable losses to soil, seed, fertilizer, and young crops. Farmers have often 

 noticed that certain local areas or spots are much more subject to blowing than 

 the remainder of the field. This may arise from various conditions or a com- 

 bination of conditions such as the location of buildings, slope of the land, direc- 

 tion of rows, difference in soil texture or drainage, etc. These "blowouts" usually 

 appear sporadically in different years and under certain weather conditions. 

 With the present emphasis on farm production, the farmer does not want to 

 abandon these areas, yet the damage to his seed and young crops such as onions 

 and asparagus may be considerable. To control these local "blowout" spots 

 temporarily until the crop has established itself, some form of windbreak ma>' 

 be used. Trials are being made at the station to see whether so-called highway 

 snow fencing will prove satisfactory for the purpose. 



Results from these preliminary studies show that the anchorage of such fencing 

 need not be so complicated as when it is used for prevention of snow drifting of 

 highways. Old iron pipes or wooden stakes 43^ to 5 feet long driven 18 inches 

 into the ground and spaced a rod apart held up the 4-foot-high lath fencing 

 throughout the entire season. If the fencing is placed on the windward edge of 

 the "blowout" at right angles to the prevailing winds and the crop rows are 

 placed parallel to the fencing, very little loss of area or inconvenience in opera- 

 tion will be experienced. Generally one fence row will be sufficient to control 

 "blowouts" of the size commonly found in this section. The cost of snow fencing 

 is about 15 cents a running foot at present, but would be considerably less under 

 normal conditions. This seemingly high initial cost should be prorated with 

 respect to the longevity of the fence. 



Erosion Problems Arising from Changes in Land Use. The increase of potato 

 growing in certain localities in Massachusetts has resulted in soil erosion prob- 

 lems. Some operators are already' experiencing a decrease in potato yield and 

 have called on the Soil Conservation Service for aid in formulating plans for the 

 protection of their fields. Laboratory tests show that there is an abnormal de- 

 crease of organic matter on some of these soils. It was found on several farms 

 in western Massachusetts that the organic matter decrease in six years ranged 

 from 14 to 31 percent with most of the decrease taking place in the first 2 or 3 

 years. It is deemed advisable, therefore, to encourage potato growers to practice 

 soil conservation methods such as winter cover-cropping, terracing, and contour 

 farming of their hillsides. 



