Id.
Out on the Great Plains by the Grass who sure where the screams are a hard day's
ride apart or even farther.
Where the strong wind blows and the heat wave
that was the bleached bones a lot of them covered wagons told of our great western
migration is a vast region east of the Rocky Mountains
stretches from Canada to Mexico here on the Great Plains we fought many a battle
and won all but the last and we're still fighting
that one against the dust
higher higher
during the thirty in the dark the clouds roared over Texas Mexico Colorado Oklahoma
Kansas abreast of the colors Wyoming
and Montana the great battle of the Dust Bowl was on us
and much of the land was abandoned.
But some of the people fought
and what the help of the government start of the brow the whims of the dust until
the rains came again
a myriad the farming the.
And grass grew and children
and some people forgot the whens of the dust with good crops some forgotten
until it happened again once more rain was short and the water.
We didn't sprout the grass dried up
and the land was bare again in February the wind began to blow
and snatched up the fair soil
and filled the skies with just the covered it
with the national side.
The president of the United States flew west to do the damage it was a tragic sight
except where farmers saved paid to feed the cattle
kept the stubble the same the land where
ranchers protected the grass from too much grazing here the wind did little damage
there was no time except the dust brought by the wind from I'm tempted to feel
Congress sense the problem bring my family the Great Plains conservation program in
one hundred fifty six to help farmers
and ranchers develop the kind of agriculture
that could survive another drought here for the first time was a program designed
for a region wide attack on a region wide problem in this program farmers like
our Pember in Kansas are bracing themselves for the dry years ahead.
The Pember family homestead in Kansas in the night.
It's good land
but in dry years the dust the Great Plains conservation program could
answer our tempers problem. The done.
He would enter into a long time agreement with the Department of Agriculture he
would use the methods of soil
and water conservation proven to work in time of drought he would be helped with
the cost of the job.
First a plan of operation a conservation plan a call worked up with
the help of field man of the Soil Conservation Service a map of the farmland
the stable soil the wheat soy oil where the soil would blow
apart Pember plant a tree trees to tame the wind wind breaks
that would protect his land and shelter the cattle
and wildlife water is
precious in the Great Plains.
It may not rain for months so Pember plows
and farms on the contour to catch every problem where it falls.
He built terraces on the sloping land terraces that would hold the water
and keep the soil moist long after the rains were gone.
Grass the gullies have receded waterways
that putting water out the uses wire grass gauges to tell him
when to move his cattle to another pasture Take care
and leave is a saying that ranchers have about whether it means
that they let their cattle graze have the height of the grass.
Then herd them to another pastures. If raised down to the roots grass may die.
The land will be bare and the will blow
when Pember harvest his crops.
He leaves the residue on the foil serve them that other friends break up
when the ground level keeps the dust from blowing
our Pember can ruin his share to keep the dust down in the Great Plains.
Darl hiker has a ranch in Wyoming part of it once grew wheat to look drought growth
in the previous owners out the land shows the scars of wind
erosion from too little cover during the dry years actor is using his conservation
plan to help make this land useful again to cover the blowouts an abandoned field
with grass brass so easily plowed up for a quick prop of grain takes years to
start again
when the topsoil is gone back
or has some land here again.
It gives him a chance to raise hay he can feed hay to keep his cows off the range
until the grass is ready to graze
irrigation is specialized farming.
You must have level land to spread the water evenly not drown the plants
nor let them dry out water must be saved
and used wisely keep the ditches tight like.
And to hold the water a good irrigation plan
and a good range plan will save Packer for the next drought come
forward.
Tell us would vary as a livestock farmer in Oklahoma land The suffered from both
drought and torrential rains rains that gouged deep gully
that is below them left the dry and shrivel under the heat
but various resources were not enough he needed to sell the kind of help the Great
Plains conservation program offers build dams where the gullies
and began their arms to catch water for cattle dams
that would bring water to the
and used parts of this range where the grass was good
but where the cattle couldn't agree would bury replant it is depleted ranges with
good grass
by using all of his range uniformly having stopped water where needed regressing
the bare spots would very well be ready for the next drought
Solon Higgins' has a ranch in the heart of the old the bull pen is dalam County
Texas alone Hagen rustiness son
and grandson Ted Raven happy people these ready for the worst the Great
Plains can offer blow out their soil
their weapon grass grass the bulls.
Than the drought grass
that will not be blown away Akins is bothered by
yet worthless weed that invades the range
when the grass gets stale the grass will not grow back there is not enough moisture
in the soil for both to survive spraying the Yucca
with weed killer bring back the grass
help from his Great Plains contract will keep pagans save from a new dust bowl.
Hall raises cattle in North Dakota much of his range was over used in bear
while his best grass land was not Grey's no water planning
and financial assistance have helped all the new program manage the range by
building stockpot
fence the bear's spots. Covered the land with grass.
So it will never blow again.
Raymond Farrow lives in the sand hill country of Nebraska a place of light sandy
soils that grows excellent grain crops during the last year but
when the drought comes and the winds blow the bare fields can be swept away.
Carroll is going back to a permanent cover of grass to accomplish this feral first
grew up conditioning crop of rye this cover held the soil until the grass could get
us damaged.
Tree wind break
and water for cattle These also are parts of feral the Great Plains conservation
plan is agreement with the government that he will keep his land secure
when the next grouse come there is no magic
in the Great Plains conservation program
and is a sitting together of Farmer know how
and the scientific progress of three generations with the support of a government
that knows another dust bowl and be a national disaster.
Just as blown every year. Somewhere in the plains in the dry years.
It is words but as more
and more of the land gets the tree planted me as we learn to understand the value
of Gratz and ground cover.
There will be less fear of the dark clouds of dust rising again to choke
and destroy the good life of the Great Plains the Pember pact Woodbury
begins halls and ferals are fighting a battle that is yours
and mine to ready the Great Plains as never before the drought
that will surely come.