LAND RECLAMATION

Great stress has also been laid on land reclamation. There exist different ways of land reclamation.

On marshland drainage is made use of. In result of this crop land and meadow land are reclaimed from what was formerly waste land. The retirement of water is carried out by means of a system of ditches, principally tile ditches (that is ditches faced with tile) and mole drainage (or under­ground drainage).

Combating erosion constitutes the next division of land reclamation. On broken country erosion may be due in the place to gullying (the formation of gullies) which must be closed essentially by planting shrubs or- afforestation, or by level terracing with grass or bushes grown on the level-ter­race ground. This is known as gully detention. To prevent the water of heavy rains from forming new gullies grassed waterways or diversion ditches are foreseen, where the grass prevents washing of soil.

On silt-loam, sandy and other soils, including even black-earth (chernozem), scorching winds blowing away the top­most layer of the soil are a real scourge.

To fight the carrying away of fine earth as a result of sand-blows, shelter-belts (or windbreaks) constitute the chief means, while rolling the soil is likewise a most useful practice.

TEXT 13

SOIL AND SOIL FERTILITY

All plants grow in the soil. If you want to have high yields of grains, fruits and vegetables you must have a fertile soil. All crops grow well in a good soil. They cannot grow well if the soil is poor. People who have vegetable gardens must work hard there. They must dig the ground with a spade and loosen it with a rake. They may apply some fertilizers. They must water the plants and weed their vegetable gardens.

All vegetables and other crops respond to fertilizers very well. Agricultural soils must have some organic matter and some mineral matter.

Crops cannot grow well if there is not enough water, plant .food, heat and air.

Collective farmers work many hours in the fields and they get good yields of wheat, rye, oats, barley, corn, millet, buckwheat, cabbage, beet, carrot, beans, peas, lettuce, onion, radish and other crops.

Soil fertility is very important for agricultural crops.

 

TEXT 14