SOLUTIONS TO DUST STORM

Hi Frank,

Thanks for the extra input for the conditions contributing to the dust storms of the '30s. The development of machinery enabling the planting of greater acreage is certainly a significant element leading to the dust storms. And, of course, wheat was the leading cash crop, so most open fields were planted in wheat.

Prior to the development of the tractor and combines to harvest the wheat crop, its hard to imagine how much back -breaking work was involved in bringing the crop to market. My mother often talked about the mules my grandfather used to pull the plows, disks, and harrows, then the ripe wheat was first cut and tied into bundles by a machine called a binder; the bundles were then stacked into separate little tepee-shaped "shocks " in the field and, finally, the bundles were fed into a
"thrasher" which separated the wheat kernels from the stalks. There were "thrashing crews" of up to 15-18 men who followed the harvest season, moving north from Texas to the Dakotas, to pick up the wheat bundles and feed them into the thrasher. My mother's job was to bring lunch to the field, then afternoon coffee and, finally, supper at the end of the day for the entire crew.

At about the time of my high school years and continuing pretty much to the present time, the state governments began to limit the acreage that could be planted in wheat, encouraging farmers to either let the extra land lay fallow and/or plant in other crops such as sweet clover, which actually is a wonderful plant, providing great food for cattle and also returning nitrogen to the soil. Planting wheat in the same acreage year after year does deplete the soil of certain nutrients, such as nitrogen, which can be replenished with commercial fertilizer or by planting other crops , or simply permitting the land to lay fallow for one or more seasons. These restrictions had the two-fold purpose of holding down the possibility of dust storms, propping up the price of the wheat and re-enriching the soil.

Today, there is a new problem looming, caused by the desparate push to create ethanol for auto fuel : farmers are planting every available acreage in corn, which is now a higher cash crop than wheat. While corn formerly was primarily a food crop for cattle and pork, now farmers must pay a unrealisticly high price to feed farm animals corn supplements, causing a ripple effect in food prices for beef, pork and poultry prices at the grocery store. At the same time, the decrease in the wheat available also will cause wheat prices to rise, and less wheat available to ship to starving populations around the world.Its a sad day when food for animals and the human population is diverted to auto fuel.

Enough pontificating. Best to you. Bob.