High school winner of Mclean county's soil conservation essay contest, Adeline Norman 



is shown with Farm Adviser O. L. Welsh (left) and D. A. Hofer of Arrowsmith high school, 



her principol. She received $100 prise. 



HUNGER 



ONE CAUSE OF WAR 



^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 



ESSAY CONTEST STRESSES SOIL CONSERVATION NEED 



IF TOMORROWS farmers come to 

 accept soil conservation practices as 

 something as commonplace as soil cul- 

 tivation, then half the battle to save 

 the county's soil resources is won. 



It was with this shrewd thought in 

 mind that McLean County Farm Bu- 

 reau and the county soil conservation dis- 

 trict approached the task of furthering 

 the cause of soil conservation in the 

 county. 



The obvious channel for spreading the 

 gospel of conservation of the nation's 

 greatest natural resource was through the 

 schools. And with the full backing 

 of the school authorities a $1,000 con- 

 test was announced. 



The contest was open to all school 

 children with similar prizes offered to 

 high school and elementary school stu- 

 dents for the best essay on soil conserv- 

 ing practices. Other prizes were offered 

 for the best scrap books illustrating the 

 benefits of conservation. 



Backed by the Farm Bureau, the con- 

 servation district, the schools and public 

 officials, the contest got off to a flying 

 start with widely publicized public cere- 

 monies, including tree plantings on the 

 courthouse lawn, radio programs and 

 newspaper articles. 



Winners of the top prizes in the es- 

 say contest which attracted 300 entries 

 were Adeline Norman of Arrowsmith 

 high school and Ronald D. Fendrick, 

 1 3-year-old elementary school pupil at 

 Hudson. Both received $100 prizes. 



Scrap book winners were Heyworth 

 high school and Prairie Cottage ele- 

 mentary school. Each received $25 and 



eight Norway spruce trees for their 

 school grounds. 



The widely acclaimed contest was 

 climaxed by a meeting in Bloomington 

 high school one afternoon and a dinner 

 at the county Farm Bureau building in 

 the evening. 



speakers included Arnold P. Benson, 

 Illinois Director of Agriculture; Farm 

 Adviser O. L. Welsh, who contributed 

 much to the success of the contest ; Frank 

 Hubert, chairman of the soil conserva- 

 tion district; C. C. Morgan, soil con- 

 servationist: Ralph Arends, county su- 

 perintendent of schools; Les Wright, 

 state conservationist; Oliver J. Muser, di- 

 rector of information, regional office, 

 Milwaukee, and O. A. Potts, district con- 

 servationist. 1 -. . 



"Hunger in the world today is not 

 merely the result of war," Director Ben- 

 son said. "In many lands soil fertility 

 has been wasted and adequate food pro- 

 duction is nearly impossible. And hun- 

 ger is one cause of war." 



Fully endorsing the aims of all men 

 interested in saving Illinois' topsoil, 

 Farm Bureau President C. R. Ropp said 

 regarding the contest: "Fewer programs 

 in Farm Bureau history have been con- 

 ducted which have come more nearly 

 striking at the heart of civilization's 

 greatest problem of survival." 



Said Superintendent of Schools 

 Arends: "Since the climax of the essay 

 and scrapbook contest, it has been my 

 pleasure to visit numerous teachers and 

 schools that took part in the program. 

 I know of no other single program in 

 the study of conservation that has had 

 greater influence on the understanding 

 and meaning of conservation." 



Bloomington high school'* conservation class, which liod 64 entries in the contest and six 

 cash prize winners, plants an evergreen on school lawn. At left Is teacher Miss (Margaret 



Means. 



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L A. A. RECORD 



