eliotn A Use BeOUNa tle i eho iN 5) 
know that the same serious problem of soil loss exists in all parts of our 
state, and in all parts of our country,” says Walker. 
“When the Mississippi river is at flood stage, the equivalent of the top- 
soil from a 40 acre farm is carried past Vicksburg, Miss., every minute, 
according to careful estimates of engineers. Much of that topsoil comes 
from Illinois farms. Evidence of this fact lies in the eroded fields, and even 
abandoned land, in all parts of the state.” 
Walker says best estimates are that about 9 per cent of Illinois land is 
subject to “destructive” erosion, 9 per cent to “serious” erosion, and 59 per 
cent to “harmful” erosion. Fertility will continue to be depleted unless cor- 
rect farming methods are more widely adopted, he warns. ° 
This of course, is a matter of particular concern for farmers. The soil 
literally is being washed from under their plows. Why? Walker reports the 
Lake Decatur at this point was four feet deep in its early years. 
(Photo by the author) 
main reason that the rate of erosion has increased 20 per cent since the 
early days of Lake Decatur is because of the change in the use of the land. 
In 1922 the intertilled, erosion-producing crops of corn and soybeans 
were grown on 41 per cent of the farm land in the six counties from which 
the water flows into Lake Decatur. The remaining 59 per cent was used for 
small grains, hay, and other crops that hold the soil better than tilled crops. 
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