CONSERVATION PRACTICES FOR TOBACCO LANDS 43 



nomical methods of applying mulch are needed before the practice 

 can be recommended for general use by farmers. 



CONCLUSION 



Although erosion is by no means limited to tobacco soils, these soils 

 in the flue-cured and Maryland tobacco belts are among those most 

 endangered by water erosion. To arrest erosion and adopt a course 

 of land management which will hold future soil losses to a minimum 

 will require concerted effort of all concerned — the farmers, the to- 

 bacco trade, soil conservation districts, and all State and Federal 

 agencies. This publication points the way to such a course by citing 

 some of the most successful methods developed in a brief period of 

 research. 



The limited extent of research reported here cannot solve the prob- 

 lem. Neither can it be solved until all agricultural workers and farm- 

 ers become sufficiently conservation-minded to recognize that protec- 

 tion of the soil against erosion is a primary requirement for continued 

 profitable production of tobacco as well as other crops. Also, it must 

 be borne in mind that on land areas affected by water erosion the cost 

 of soil protection mounts with the steepness of slope when soil-deplet- 

 ing crops such as tobacco are grown. 



The following points are urged : 



Promote the growing of tobacco only on those lands where ade- 

 quate provisions are made to safeguard the soil against erosion. 



Start now to promote the full use of the erosion-control practices 

 that are known to be effective on tobacco land. 



Recognize the defects and' shortcomings in present knowledge of 

 erosion control on these tobacco lands ; then promote and support the 

 efforts needed to improve the practices. 



LITERATURE CITATIONS 



(1) Bartholomew, K. P., Carter, D. G., Hulbert, W. C, and Kapp, L. C. 



1939. INFLUENCE OF RAINFALL CROPPING AND CULTURAL METHODS ON SOIL 



and water losses. Ark. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 380, 48 pp., illus. 



(2) Borst, H. L., McCall, A. G., and Bell, F. G. 



1945. investigations in erosion control and the reclamation of eroded 

 land at the northwest appalachian conservation experiment sta- 

 TION, zanesville, ohio, 1934-42. U. S. Dept. Agr. Tech. Bul. 888, 95 

 pp., illus. 



(3) Brown, D. E., and Lunn, W. M. 



1925. cropping tests with tobacco. Md. Univ. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 275, 

 48 pp., illus. 



(4) , and McMurtrey, J. E., Jr. 



1934. value of natural weed fallow in the cropping SYSTEM FOR to- 

 bacco. Md. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 363, pp. 4<>1^10, illus. 

 (*5) Copley, T. L., Forrest, L. A., Augustine, M. T., and Lutz, J. F. 



1944. effects of land use and season on runoff and soil loss. N. C. 

 Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 347, 28 pp., illus. 



(6) , Forrest, L. A., McCall, A. G., and Bell, F. G. 



1944. investigations in erosion control and reclamation of eroded 

 land at the central piedmont conservation experiment station, 

 statesville, n. c, 1930-40. U. S. Dept. Agr. Tech. Bul. 873, 66 pp., 

 illus. 



(7) DOGGETT, J. F. 



1947. sod field waterways. N. C. Agr. Col. Ext. Cir. 303, 8 pp., illus. 



