Conservationof Soil
THE
ROYAL
BANK
HEAD
OFFICE,
OF
CANADA
MONTREAL
August,1946
OURISTSfind the eroded"hoodoos"of Banff
picturesque;
theymarveloverthe wildbeauty
of the bad landsof SouthDakota,the manycolouredpillarsof BryceCanyonin Utah,and the
shimmering
Jacob’scoatof the Arizonadesert;but
theyseldomgivea thought
to thefactthesearedead
lands.Theydiedbecausetheywereunprotected
from
sun and wind and denudedof water. . . and such
.maybecomemillions
of acresof Canadaunlessheed
is givenquickly
to conservation.
T
War againstencroachment
of the desertis neverending.Old-time
conservation
andirrigation
schemes
wereprettygood,considering
thatthe diggingof
ditches
andbuilding
of terraceshad
to be doneby hand,
butunless
theworldis to go in forsoilless
culture
of
cropsit istimefora bigneweffort
usingalltheknowledgeand resources
of modernscience.The population of the worldhas increasedfrom 465 million
around the year 1650 to somewhereabout 2,200
million.Thatmeans,if everyoneis to havethree
mealsa day, an additionaldrainon farm land of
1,900,000,000,000
mealsout of everyyear’scropof
grains,
vegetables,
livestock
fodder,
andalltheother
thingswhichcontribute
to humandiet.
Talking
aboutmealsbringsthe matterof conservationdownoutof thecloudsof hypothesis,
and makes
it a matterof immediateinterestto everyman,
womanand child.Destruction
of resources-- and
thereis no moreimportant
resource
thanthe eight
or ten inchesof topsoil-- is an injurywithwide
implications.
The responsepeoplemake now to the
demandfor conservation
willspellthe difference
between
foodandfaminein thenextfew generations.
Whilethe tragichistoryof a few decadeshas
focussed
attention
on sections
of the Canadian
West,
the needforpreservation
andrestoration
in Eastern
Canadais also pressing.
The "GardenProvince"
is
beingwashedaway,littleby little.Workmenhad to
go through
90 feetof mudto reacha solidfoundation
for bridgepiersat Charlottetown,
"mud"whichwas
oncethe fertiletopsoilof crop-growing
acres.In
New Brunswick
it is reportedthatone weekof high
waterin the SaintJohnRivercarriesdownas much
siltas wouldcovermorethan3,000acresto a depth
of one inch.Ontariois exercised
becausenot only
aregoodagricultural
landsbeingsweptaway,adding
newdevastation
to the abandoned
landswhichshould
neverhavebeen openedto agriculture,
but rivers
arebeingspoiled
because
siltinjures
thechances
of
breeding
andfeeding
fish.Quebechassetasidea tenyear fund of $10 millionto be spenton approved
schemes
of landutilization.
Sincethefirstperiod
of settlement
of theCanadian
West,therehave beenmanydifficulties,
but none
greaterthandroughtand erosion.
Beforethattime,
threereports
hadbeenmade,starting
withthaton the
investigation
by Captain
JohnPalliser
in 1857.He reportedunfavourably,
outlining
"aridplains"
extending
in a triangle
basedupontheUnited
Statesborder,
running from a point near Brandonand a pointnear
Waterton
Lakes,to an apexnearSaskatoon.
Basinghis
opinion
on theclimate,
thesoilandthelackof fuel,"
HenryY. Hind,English
geologist,
confirmed
Palliser’s
opinion.
Fifteen
yearslater,
in a period
of heavyrainfall,JohnMacounreportedenthusiastically
to the
DominionGovernment.
Therewere200 millionacres
suitable
foragriculture,
he said.Thisisabouthalfthe
totalareaof whatare now the PrairieProvinces.
Settlement
followed
rapidly,
withoutanycomprehensiveplanning.
An indication
ofthefluctuations
suffered
in thispromising
landmay be had by comparing
the
wheatcropfigures
for1928,a yearof bountiful
rain,
and1937,a yearof drought,
withpractically
identical
acreage
in bothyears.
Soilerosionby windis a difficult
problemof the
west,and many farmshave beenabandonedbecause
of it.Thisis nota newplague.
As earlyas 1887there
was severedrifting
at the IndianHeadexperimental
farm.Monarch,in Southern
Alberta,
madeapparently
thefirstdetermined
attempt
to control
drifting,
and
suchgoodprogress
hasbeenmadesince1918thatthis
district
is regarded
as themostoutstanding
example
in Canadaof successful
control,
evenin an areawhere
serious
drifting
is to be expected
almosteveryyear.
Soildoesnotblowif it is adequately
coveredby
vegetation,
and it doesnot washout if thereare
foreststo soakup the rainfallon the heightsand
grassor adequatecropsto haltthe flowon slopes
or on the level.Butone smallareaon a farm,left
unprotected,
may be attackedby wind or rain and
thedamagewillspreadto neighbouring
fields,
farms,
counties
andmunicipalities.
Soilerosionhas beencalleda "creeping
death."
It is fatalnotonlyto growthof plantsbut to the
developmentof man. Concurrentwith a farmers
realization
thathisfarmis washing
or blowing
away,
withconsequent
lossof productivity
andrevenue,
there
comeslossof morale.
A ruralpopulation
of prosperous
andcontented
farmers
is an asseteverycountry
needs,
butif morale
is destroyed,
andfarmers
become
apathetic,
the wholecountrysuffers.
Prosperity
on individual
farmsbringswithit benefit
to neighbouring
merchants,
distant
suppliers
of farmmachinery,
andfactories
all
overthe Dominion.
Thesesuccessful
farmerscontributeto thenational
income,
andtheyprovide
exportablegoodswhichincrease
Canada’s
worldtrade,with
consequent
raising
of thestandard
of livingthroughoutthecountry.
Wastingof capital,
in the formof thesoil’sproductiveness,
is obviously
chiefamongthehazards
to be
guardedagainst.Not many yearsago it wouldhave
seemedsillyto suggestthatfarmsshouldbe "managed"as arebusiness
enterprises,
andthatrecords
shouldbe kept,buttimeshavechanged.
Farmmanagementstudiesand recordsof production
acreby acre
wouldshowveryquicklywhereattention
was needed
to retainor restore
fertility.
Theexchange
of information and views which such recordswould make
possiblewould widen the base upon which every
farmercouldassesshisprogress
andplanhisfuture.
Correction
of mistakes
madewhenlandwassettled,
or reparation
of the damagedoneby mistakenusage
or neglect
of precautions,
cannotbe accomplished
in a
monthor a year,butitshould
be started
rightnow.The
beginning
of a conservation
systemof landuse need
not be expensive,
and sucha systemshould,in all
average
cases,
proveto be moreproductive
in quantity
andquality
thanareexploitative
systems.
Underconditions
of lowproductivity,
notonlythe
farmerand his familyare affected,
but the whole
community.A ruralmunicipality,
like any other,
requiressteadytaxpayers.
The wholecountryside
suffersthroughlackof fundsfor education,
road
building,
bridgeconstruction,
and manyothernecessaryanddesirable
projects,
if thetax-paying
ability
of thosewholivethereis reduced.
The level of employmentin manufacturingis
affected
by the purchasing
powerof all the people,
and farm peoplemake up 27 per cent of Canada’s
population.
If thelivingstandard
of 27 percentof a
country’s
population
is at a lowlevel,fromwhatever
cause,
it isobvious
thatthestandard
of living
willbe
depressed
everywhere
in thecountry.
Lookat anotheraspectof thischainof causeand
effect.
Whensoilsdrift,
thecostof maintaining
railway linesis increased.
Roadallowances
aredrifted
over. Tumblingweed catchessoil, and piles up
mounds on which a buggy can be drivenover the
fence.How much mentalupsetand weakenedmorale
are due to duststormsis knownonly to thosewho
havelivedin the west.Thestrainon housewives
is
particularly
severe.Theymustenduredirtand soil
particles
in food,on furniture
and driftedoverthe
floor.
Erosion
affects
allof living.
Likeitsown"blow
spots"thedamageis smallat first,butinsidious
and
deadly.
In one smallarea in Ontariothereare 75 farm
buildings
classed
as fairor poor,while44 buildings
havebeen abandonedor levelled,everyone an unwritten
storyof hope,toilanddisappointment.
In some
casesthe landwas goodto startwith,but it was
farmedwithoutforesight.
The plowmadeit readyfor
carryingawayby windand water.Productivity
declined.Incomedecreased.
Sonsand daughterswent
awayto cities.
A farmwhichhoused,fedand clothed
a big familyonlya few yearsago supportsno one,
andis a menaceto itsnelghbours.
Onceit deposited
moneyin banks,boughtmachinery,
was the mainstay
of localretailbusiness
anda customer
of the mail
orderhouses.It helpedfeedcities.Todayit buys
nothing,paysno taxes,producesnothingto add to
the nationalincomeor the welfareof the country,
feedsno one.
Look westward.In 1941 therewere more than 4
million
acresof abandoned
farmsin thePrairie
Provinces,
an acreage
which,
at thelongtimeaverage
yield
of 15.6bushelsper acre,mightproduce62,400,000
bushels
of wheata yearif thelandhadbeensaved.
In viewof thesealarming
factsabouttheresultof
erosionuponthe well-being
of individual
farmers,
business,community
life and the nationat large,
it may be worthwhile
to examinebrieflyjust what
erosionis, how it comesabout,and some of the
consequences.
The two chiefcausesof erosionare
windand water.The slopeof land is an important
factor,
as aretemperature,
rainfall,
andthephysical
natureof thesoil.The proportion
of rainfall
which
remainsusefullyavailable
is determined
by three
factors:
evaporation,
underground
water,andsurface
or run-off
water.In theabsence
of retarding
factors,
suchas vegetation
or mechanically-contrived
obstacles
likedams,terracesand ditches,the run-offwater
washes
awaysoilfromthesurface
of theground,
carries
itintowatercourses,
and,ultimately
losesit as silt.
Thissheeterosion
isparticularly
dangerous
because
it
is scarcely
noticed.
It maygo.onforyears,thefarmer
not realizing
whatis happemng
exceptthathe finds
certainspotsdecreasing
in theircropyield.Sheet
erosion
is notsospectacular
asgullyerosion,
butsince
itisdifficult
tosee,itis allthemoreserious.
Towalk
outintoan unprotected
cultivated
fieldaftera heavy
rainstormis to walkup against
a forceof natureas
implacableand ungetatableas the Great Boyg:
"mild,
invisible,
limp,unviolent,
pervasive
. ..
Neither
dead,noralive;slimeandmistiness;
No shapeor form."
And,like PeerGynt in Ibsen’slyricaldrama,the
farmeris foiledby the apparently
unreachable
nature
of the powerthatis ruininghim so slyly,because
"ThegreatBoygcan triumphwithoutany fighting",
and the farmersees nothingconcretethathe can
battle.
Wherethe landslopes,
or wherethe surface
of the
fieldfallsintoslight
natural
channels,
smallrillsare
createdafterheavyrain or when the snowmelts.
Neglected,
therillsformgullies,
butgullies
mayalso
followrutsformedby wagonwheels,the trailsmade
by livestock,
or evenfurrowsrunningup and down
the slope.Thesegrowlikecompound
interest.
There
are many gulliesa hundredfeetor morein depth,
carrying
offsurface
soilby theton.
University
of Alberta,
is quoted
as saying
it wouldtake
from$200to $350peracrein commercial
fertilizer
to
restore
thesevitalminerals.
Do these thingsseem exaggerated
? Let anyone
inclined
to sneerat thepowerof watertakea lookat
MarbleCanyon,in the BritishColumbiaRockies.
LittleTolumnCreekhasworna cleftin marblewalls
to a depth of 200 feet. "Drivealong Highway7,
north-east
fromToronto",
is theinvitation
offered
disbelievers
by allarticle
in Saturday
Night.
"Observe
theweedsandtheunevengrowthof grain.Seehowin
nearlyeveryfieldtherearepatcheswherethegrowth
is scanty,liketinythinspotson a man’spate.In
ninecasesout of ten the enemyis sheeterosion."
Whenthe WestHumberRiver,Ontario,was in flood
in 1942,Professor
Coventrymeasuredits flow and
the loadof soilbeingcarrieddown.The estimated
amountof sediment
was 2,400tonsan hour.
To realize
theimportance
of doingsomething
nowin
thewaron erosion,
itis notnecessary
to gofarafield.
The beginningsof desolationmay be seen within
easy reach of everycommunityin Canada.Around
Drumheller,
in Alberta,
farmers
havea dramatic
object
lessonbeforetheireyesdayin anddayout.Stretches
of thevalleyaregashedwithgullyerosion,
carvedby
windandwaterintofantastic
pillars
andmounds,
grey
anddead,useless
as landon themoon.Theonlyliving
growthis an occasional
sageor cactus.
South,in the
How longcan thisgo on ? Scientists
tellus that
tbothills,
streamswhichflowedthe yearroundand
it
takes
nature
about
five
hundred
years
to makeone
yielded
richcatches
of troutthirtyyearsagonowrun
inchof goodtopsoil,
butthisprecious
sourceof food
dry a monthafterthe snowmelts.Evenfar backin
thehillstheonlywaterto behadfroma once-plentiful and livingis beingwashedfrombeneathour feet
or blownintotheairat terrific
rates.
Lookat China,
springhasto be squeezed
frommud.
wheretopsoilhasbecomeso preciousin thewashedAllaroundthesescenestherearemillions
of acres
out sectionsthatmen havebeenknownto slipfrom
theirhomes
during
thenighttostealsoilby thehandfuls
of stillusefulland,bearing
richcrops;
buttheymust
fromneighbours,
so as to haveenoughto growbeansto
be saved,starting
now,or theywillgo thewayof the
desert,
thebadlands,
andthedyingstreams.
feedtheir
families.
The millionsof tonsof Canada’sfertiletopsoil
In addition
to slowing
downthewindandthewater,
which have been washedinto the oceancannotbe
reducing
theircapacity
to transport
soil,it is necesreplaced,
and certainnaturalprocesses
of erosion
sar7to rebuild
andmaintain
fertility.
Thescience
of
cannotbe completely
stopped,
thoughthe lossescan
soilsis complicated,
and theyvarygreatly
fromone
be reducedto moderateproportions.
The Palliser
district
to another.
It is notenough
tokeepthesoilin
triangle
willnotbe safeuntilduststorms
ceasethere,
place,becausewhatthe farmerseeksis not merely
to savehislandbutto haveit givesecureproduction, the landnaileddownby the rootsof grassand by
scientific
mechanical
usages.
Therewillneverbe more
now and lateron. Havingpinneddownthe earthso
land,butthereis stilltimeto savewhatwe have,if
thatit doesnotblowor washaway,conservation
will
Canadians
takenoticeof theneed.
proceedto recharge
it withplantfood.
Much good has been accomplishedunder the
The problemis immediate.
Two Englishscientists,
PrairieFarmRehabilitation
Act,passedby ParliaG. V. Jacksand R. O. Whyte,jointauthorsof the
mentin April1935to provide
fortherehabilitation
of
book "VanishingLands",have reported:"As the
thedrought
andsoil-drifting
areasin theopenplains
resultsolelyof humanmismanagement,
the soilsupon
and Alberta.Usingall
whichmen haveattempted
to foundnew civilizations of Manitoba,Saskatchewan
necessary
resources
of the Dominion
and Provincial
are disappearing,
washedaway by waterand blown
Departments
of Agriculture,
and co-ordinating
all
awayby wind.Today,destruction
of the earth’s
thin
existing
agencies,
theP.F.R.A.
groupsitsactivities
livingcoveris proceeding
at a rateand on a scale
undertheseheadings:
cultural
work,landutilization,
unparalleled
in history,and whenthatthincoverThe culturalworkhas benethesoil-- isgone,thefertile
regions
whereitformerly and waterdevelopment.
fiteddirectly
or indirectly
morethan12 million
acres
laywillbe unhabitable
deserts."
Doesit,then,seem
of farmland,andpossibly
one millionacresby refar-fetched
whenthe FarmEquipment
Dealerreports
Treeplanting
as partof homebuilding
and
thatabout14 percentof thelandon thiscontinent grassing.
providing
shelterbeltshas beengreatlystimulated.
has alreadylostall of itscrop-growing
capacity
?
or smallwaterdevelopment
workis directly
Or whenProfessor
A. F. Coventryof the Department Individual
benefiting
some25,000farmers,
whilethousands
more
of Zoology,
University
of Toronto,
saysthereare in
arebeingserved
by community
projects.
Fiftydistrict
theagricultural
partof Ontario
some5 million
acres,
experiment
substations
wereestablished
on different
aboutonesixthof thewhole,
unfitforanything
except
soiltypesandunderdifferent
climatic
conditions,
trees,butlackingthetrees? Soildrifted
fromone
wherethesuccessof suchmeasures
as stripfarming,
acre,to a depthof one inch,is equivalent
to the
scientific
croprotation,
ploughless
fallow,
trashcover,
removalof about700 poundsof nitrogen,
155 pounds
cloddyculture,covercropsand typesof machinery
of phosphorus,and 5,380poundsof potash.This
different
fromthosecommonly
usedcouldbe proven.
amountof phosphorus
alone,says a pamphletdisdeserves
a volume
in itself,
notonlybecause
tributed
by theDominionDepartment
of Agriculture, Irrigation
of itsconservation
possibilities,
butbecause
itaddsso
is equalto thatremovedfromthe soilin the promuchto theearning
capacity
of certain
lands.
ductionof 485 bushelsof wheat.Dr. Wyatt,of the
Otherthings
areneeded,
of course.
Thereneedsto be
afforestation
of theuppercatchment
areasof rivers,
withproperand sustained
management
of boththese
reserves
andotherforested
lands.Limitation
of herds
and flocksis neededin accordance
with what the
vegetation
cansupport.
Somepeopleprotestbecause
there are so many "do not’s"in the reclamation
picture.
Butreclamation
mustneedshaveprohibitions,
so thatall the goodworkdoneby one sectionof a
community
shallnot be wipedout by thethoughtless
or selfish
actions
of another
section.
Conservation
of
soil musthavedynamicmethods.Dustbowlsin the
west,and washed-out
areasin the east,cannotbe
reclaimedby namby-pambyhalf measures,nor can
the topsoilof Canadabe naileddownwithoutsharp
tacksandelbowgrease.
A farmerwhois soldon theideaof conservation
of
soilwouldbewell-advised
tousethefacilities
afforded
him by governmental
agenciesand by agricultural
organizations.
Thefirsttaskis to determine
to what
usethedifferent
partsof hislandareto be put,with
oneeyeon the probable
cropyieldand theothereye
on placingcrop, pastureand woodlandso as to
providethemostcomplete
protection
against
erosion
by waterand wind.The secondtaskis to determine
what to do aboutconditionsalreadycallingfor
treatment:water
washing,
leaching,
drifting
andblowing.Thethirdtaskis to takethe accumulated
knowledgeand experience
fromall available
sources,
and
applythemintelligently
andenergetically.
given,hnplement
manufacturers
are doingtheirpart
to impressfarmerswiththe needfor andpossibility
of bettermentin soil conditions.Farm journals
seldomappearwithout
at leastonearticlesupporting
theideaof conservation.
Intelligent,
planned,
organized
attackis required.
It mightverywellstemfromthe farmers’
leveland
makeitselffeltin requests
foradviceandassistance
and guidanceof governmentdepartments.A committeeof men and womenintensely
interested
in the
well-being
of theirfarmscansitarounda tableand
setforthwhattheyhopefor;thenlookto theexperts
fordetails
of howit is to be done.Discussion
between
groups,
in an unselfish
spiritof sharing
knowledge
and
experience
forthegoodof all,willbe effective
in
keepingdown wastagedue to misplacedeffortor
amateurishplanning.Consultationbetweenindividuals,
farmers’
associations,
universities,
county
councils,Dominionand ProvincialDepartments
of
Agriculture
and Agricultural
Improvement
Associationsas to thebestway of proceeding
shouldgo far
towardbuildingeffectivecontrolprogrammesand
co-ordinating
themin a comprehensive
planthatwill
benefitall.The Agricultural
Improvement
Associations are showingwhat can be done in studying,
deciding,
andputtingintoactionthe bestcropping
andtillage
practices
to control
soildritting
andpromotethe generalwell-being
of agriculture.
Study
groupsin cities,alongthelinesof "Friends
of the
Land"in Washington,
composedof personsfromall
business
andprofessional
activities,
couldaddweight
to the campaign.
Canadianfarmers during the war stepped up
productionby aboutfiftyper cent.Operatingan
industry
valuedat $5 billionandturningout$1I/4
billionworthof farmproductsannually,
theyhave
It is important
thatproperperspective
shouldbe
comea longway duringthepastsixtyyears,it was
maintained.
It willnotdo forindividuals
listlessly
pointedout recently
by L. B. Thomson,
President
of
to awaitofficial
action,
norshould
organizations
hold
theAgricultural
Institute
of Canada.In an article
backpendingdemandsupon them.It is no timefor
published
in theAgricultural
Institute
Reviewin May,
complacency.
Whatevercan be done,startingnow,
Mr. Thomsongivessageadviceand timelywarning:
shouldbe begunby farmersand all organizations
"This progresswas made possibleby the farmer
even remotelyconcerned.Perspectivein t~me is
applying
hisexperience
andthefindings
of scientists needed,
too.Therewilldoubtless
be yearsof abundant
to thecultivation
of farmlands,to the growingof
rainfall,
timedjustrightto producethebestcrops
crops,andto theraising,
of livestock.
However,
if
and hold downthe land,bringingconsequent
tempagriculture
is to maintain
itsposition
in theCanadian tationto neglect
conservation
practices,
thoughevery
economyand if Canadianfarm goodsare to be able
thinking
farmerknowsthatthe besttimeto prepare
to competeon worldmarkets,farmersmust be able
againstbadyearsis duringthegoodyears.
to introduce
scientific
farming
on an ever-increasing
scale.
It isrecognized
by allthatfarming
cannolonger
A few paragraphs
backit was remarkedthatthere
be doneby rule-of-thumb.
Scientific
agriculture
today
is
no
more
land
to
be had than the earthalready
makesfarminga profession."
provides.
Thisdoesnot meanthatthereare no new
frontiers
to challenge
thefarmer.Soilconservation
Preparation
of a planof conservation
is a jobfor
likethediscovery
of a
experts;
carrying
outtheplanrequires
scientificall.y-opensup freshopportunities
trainedmen. At the farmers’level,enthusiastic new West.Those who attemptit are transforming
natureconsciously,
according
to a plan,notmerely
supportof energetic
associations
willgo a longway
takingwhatnatureoffers.
towardmakingeffortsuccessful,
and thisis being
Thefollowing
booklets,
av.qilable
freeonapplication
tothe
Department
of Agriculture,
Ottawa,
should
berequested
by
number:
163--Crop
Rotation
andSollManagement
forEastern
Canada.
610--Hints
on DryLandGardening.
620--The
Summer
Fallow
in Manitoba.
720--Regrassing
Abandoned
Farms,
Submarginal
Cultivated
Lands,
etc.
748--Guide
fortheSelection
ofAgricultural
Soils.
Available
fromtheForest
Nursery,
Indian
Head,
Sask.:
623--Tree
Planting
onthePrairies.
PRINTED IN CANADA
by The RoyalBankof Canada