SOIL EROSION
AROUSING THE PUBLIC
(To the Editor.)
Sir,—lt is heartening to see tha^our major problem—soil erosion—is receiving public notice in your columns. The technical problem, if not easily solved, is at least easily stated: the maintenance of adequate vegetative cover. There is an admirable, though, perhaps, under-alarmist. Government publication on this aspect.' It stresses the important fact that on moderate slopes a really close and well-managed pasture affords as good a control of water run-off as can be obtained, even from forest. We can keep the greater area of our sheep-runs if they are well managed, and increased production should more than compensate for the steep areas which must be reafforested. Certainly much local experimental work will have to be done, but the general line of approach to soil erosion has been adequately worked out in the United States. The first problem for us is the creation of a public conscience in the matter, as we have no peasant tradition of maintaining, the soil in perfect condition for our sons and grandsons. I feel I can say with confidence that, if the U.S. Government film "The River" were shown in every cinema in this country, that public conscience would then exist. "The River" would have to be followed up by technical films of our own making to instruct ourselves in our aspects of the problem. Once there is real public knowledge of its workings, soil erosion will begin to decrease. The sheep farmer will see the advantage of fertilising his slopes and will avoid over-grazing, the Public Works engineer will see that the water run-off from his roads does not lead to gullying, and dangerous landclearance schemes will not be carried out. Of course, relief works on remaking the land already destroyed should see us through the next ten depressions! I should like to close with a simple quotation from "The River": * ,
"Poor land makes poor people; And poor people make poor land." I am, etc..
JAMES HARRIS
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 59, 9 March 1940, Page 12
Word Count
329SOIL EROSION Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 59, 9 March 1940, Page 12
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