1947-01-02; Saline Observer

              4*
The Saline Observer
ScUtwUal
.VOLUME 64
SALINE, WASHTENAW COUNTY, MICHIGAN,     THURSDAY, JAN. 2, 1947
NUMBER  13
Nation s Future Tie
Gene Alleman, secretary of
the Michigan Press Association, writes the following to
the newspapers of Michigan in
his weekly "Michigan Mirror:"
One hundred more bushels
of potatoes to the acre is a
lot of spuds.
Neil Morrison, Grand Traverse farmer, astonished his
neighbors by doing'just that.
The surprising thing is that
Neil did not employ some new
kind of fertilizer and he did not
have some' new fandangled
brand of potatoes.
Same potatoes; same soil;
same weather—yet 100 more
bushels to the acre!
How did it happen? Well,
listen to Russell G. Hill, secretary of the Michigan soil conservation   committee.
"You'll have to take Neil
Morrison's word for it," said
Hill, "I even hestitate to cite
his case as an example of soil
conservation. It is so remarkable, so hard to believe.
"Agricultural experts insist
that one of the probelms of
Michigan potato culture is soil
moisture deficiency. Mr. Morrison has consistently obtained
better yields of potatoes by doing a very simple thing. He
planted his potatoes on the
contour of the land. Contour
plowing retained the rainfall,
and the moisture seeped slowly
into the soil, giving the potatoes added development. Result : A lot more potatoes than
before."
Having attended a recent
meeting of the Michigan Food
Council at which Prof. __Carl
Card*-of Michigan State. college
referred to the bumper potato
yields at the college's irrigated
potato farm at Lake City, we
agreed with Hill. Unusual as
it is, Mr. Morrison's yield is 50
per cent less than the tested
record of the Michigan State
college demonstration farm. Irrigation is a sure way to insure
adequate moisture for potato
cultre. Apparently it pays big
dviidiarinsioaeen
dividends.
So does modern soil conservation.
Because it is profitable to do
so, approximately 80,000 farmers in 36 Michigan counties
have organized soil conservation districts under a Michigan
law of 1937.
These districts cover about
one-half of the agricultural
land of the state. Considering the fact that 36 districts
have been formed in less than
ten years, such progress is encouraging. Farmers are conservative by tradition; Michigan farmers, too, are mostly
Republicans and many of them
have been cool to ideas coming
out of Washington in recent
years.
Yet soil erosion is not a national or state problem. It is
a world problem which has
existed for many centuries.
Two British scientists, G. V.
Jacks and R. O. Whyte, maintain that the loss of soil fertility due to water jind wind soil
erosion destroyed^or sapped all
the Mediterranean civilizations,
ancient    and    modern,     from
Athens and Rome to Italy and
Spain to say nothing of the
once fertile plains of North
Africa. General Smuts of South
Africa has stated, "Erosion is
the biggest problem confronting the country, bigger than
any politics."
Plato gives an amazingly accurate technical account of deforestation and erosion in the
mountains of Attica which destroyed the farms of the plains
and drove the Greeks to become
seafarers and traders.
It's not new—this thing called erosion.
The federal soil conservation
service recently made a national soil survey.
Findings were sensational.
More than 100 million acres
of our best crop land has been
irremediably ruined for further cultivation by soil erosion
caused by rain and wind. Of
the total crop land now in use
—a bit more than 400 million
acres—about 150 million acres
has been so severely damaged
by erosion to make farming
difficult or unprofitable.
Hard to believe is the experts' warning that man-made
erosion is moving more than
three billion tons of rich top-
soil every year down into our
rivers and reservoirs and out
to sea. Carried out to a logical end, this loss of natural
resources means the difference
between food and famine.
The soil conservation district
is a democratically formed cooperative campaign, voluntarily chosen by farmers and
directed by farmers, to restore
fertility to the soil; to safeguard the present topsoil that
is left; to check the corroding
damage of water and wind soil
erosion an to get the best use
of the land.
Here are some illustrations
of benefits- to Michigan farmers.
Idle marshes in Livingston
county have been converted into lush dairy pastures by seeding reed canary grass.
Tuscola county run-off plots
have demonstrated that contour crop rows, instead of rows
that go up and down the slopes
of land, have produced $25
more yield per acre. More
moisture is retained in the soil;
nature's own topsoil is not
washed away.
A soil survey of one Michigan farm, where old-time
farming methods had been perpetuated, revealed a loss of
$1,000 in farm valuation in 12
months due to erosion alone.
Close to 10,000,000 evergreen trees have been planted
in Ottawa county, first in
Michigan to utilize the benefits
of soil conservation Trees reduce soil erosion by wind and
create new wealth for the land.
A newly developed tree planting machine, available to farmers in many conservation districts, can plant 1,000 trees an
HOUR.   Two men operate it.
The list of benefits is long.
"Your story is impressive," we
remarked to Mr. Hill, at the
conclusion of our interview.
"Why don't more Michigan
farmers use  these  methods?"
"More farmers are doing so
every year," he replied.    "It is
f&e&i (d&lde&i vOedcLiH& ^&fy christmas eve
Trinity Lutheran parsonage,
was the setting, Tuesday evening, December 24th for the
ceremony which united Laura
Lindemann and Billie H. Walker in marriage with Rev. H.
L. Engel reading the service in
the presence of the immediate
families. Mrs. William Vidman
was her sister's only attendant,
while Mr. Vidman acted as best
man.
Miss Lindemann is the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Joseph Lindemann of Pleasant
Lake and  Mr.  Walker is  the
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Shurtz, 210 South Ann Arbor Street,
Saline, who will celebrate the golden anniversary of their wedding
day on Sunday, January 19- and hold open house .to their many
friends at the residence that afternoon from 2:30 to 5:00 o'clock.
a steady development. We are
optimistic about the future because soil conservation is fundamentally sound. It sells itself."
ROTARY CONTRIBUTES
TO BUGLE CORPS
Rural Progress
Caravan Starts
Tour Friday
Two Michigan State college
extension service expositions
aimed to help rural people With
their farm and home planning,
start their showings this weekend.
In the lower peninsula, the
Michigan State College Rural
Progress Caravan opens its
three-month, tour on Friday,
January 3, in an Ingham county premier at Mason.
The 1947 Caravan is made
up of panel displays of the exr
position type. Many extension specialists will accompany
the show from town to toyh
and confer with visitors during
the showing.
Nearly 400 lineal feet of
panel displays and a number of
working models are included in
the caravan property which
will be'moved about by truck.
The extension service 1947
Caravan will show in Saline,
Monday, January 27. Exhibits
will be open from 10 a.m. to
3:30 p.m.
Members cf the Sahne Rotary club voted the sum of
§200 for the benefit of the
school girls' drum and bugle
corps, Thursday, and heard
Rev Alvin Siemsen give a vocational talk. He impressed
them deeply.with his sincerity
and devotion to his high calling.* He-also read a magazine
article on Christmas, what deep
meaning it should have for us,
how it has been commercialized,
and yet the good that still remains and the hopes which are
bright for the future.
son of Mr. and Mrs. Huston
Walker of Browns Station, Mo.
Mrs. Walker is employed
with the King-Seeley Corp.,
Ann Arbor, while Mr. Walker
is a student at the University.
They expect to reside at 433
Hamilton Place, Ann Arbor^
•after Jahuafy "6th.
DAVIS-EARNHARDT
RITES READ DEC.  14
ED'S GROCERY WILL
REMODEL INTERIOR
The laying of an asphalt-tile
floor, paneling the ceiling and
installation of tube illumination and other alteration^ at
Ed's Grocery, West Michigan
avenue, will cause them to discontinue business in their
grocery department for the
week beginning January 1st,
at the end of which time the
patrons of Ed's grocery will
have a very attractive and
much more convenient place in
which to do their shopping
with' the introduction of a
sefni-self serve selection of their
purchases.
Announcement has been
made of the marriage of Miss
Mary Francis, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs I. Earnhardt of Flat
Rock, North Carolina to Robert
Lee, son of Mr. and "Mrs. William Davis of SaUne, which
took place December 14, in
Angola, Ind. Their attendants
were Mr. and Mrs. Glen Conger.
Mr. and Mrs. Davis will live
in Saline.
Forty-five years from now
will mark the 500th year since
the foreigners descended upon
America, drove the inhabitants
back across the plains ana
placed them in detention
camps; slashed the millions of
acres of virgin timber, depleted the soil of the eastern areas
and descended upon the fertile
plains of the mid-west, polut-
ing the sparkling streams and
lakes and making cesspools of
the lot.
America the beautiful!
As a nation we pride ourselves upon our accomplishments. We are not as the
people of other lands, who war
upon each other continuously,
while we seek peace!
The old world has lived upon
the land for untold centuries
and were it not for its governmental divisions, exploited by
powerful rulers who rule for
everything but the peoples'
good, it would be far better off
than the comparatively new
world of America.
Here the natural resources of
a new land of vast proportions
have been hogged off with an
utter disregard for the rights
of coming generations. As an
American don't pat yourself on
the back for your present well-
being and abundance.. Much
better, take stock of the larder
and estimate on just, how long
it will last.
The first 500 years of our
history are ones of waste and
extravagance. Monetary wealth
means nothing; natural resources everything, and until our
moral and spiritual resources
increase, our natural source of
abundance and wealth will continue to be dissipated.
Boast if you will about the
bounty of the land and the easy
pickings we've had to date, because you'cannot boast of good
stewardship. Waste, extravagance and an utter laek. of long-
range planning for _oter "6*?n
good and-our childrens' gqpc_J% % K
diftrac^'Kstic of uss- Free evter-
prise is the theme-song of' the
nation. Get what you can, and
all you can, while you can!
What will we write 500' years
from now? Well, like the rest
of you sons of Europe and Asia
and Africa, we'll let our grandchildren worry about that. And
if they cuss the daylights out
of this generation we'll be stone
deaf; just as deaf as we are today!
WILLING WORKERS
AT RHOADES HOME
YPSI COUPL^ WED HERE
CHRISTMAS EVE
REPORTS MEETING OF
ASSOCIATED WOMEN
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The Southwest Farm Bureau
group met at the home of Mr.
and Mrs. Oscar Klumpp, Thursday, December 19. Discussion
topics were planned for the future meetings of the group.
Mrs. David Pastor gave reports
on the meeting- of the Associated Women of Washtenaw County held at the home of Mrs.
Theron Wanty; and of the
Michigan Farm Bureau Women's convention at East
Lansing in November. Emerson
Haeussler was elected delegate
to represent the S.W.L.G. He
succeeds Ferman Clements,
whose term has expired. A gift
was presented the newly weds,
Mr. and Mrs. Emerson Haeussler. Card games and refreshments followed. The January
meeting will be held at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Laurence
Guenther on the 16th".
Joseph B. Huhns, Jr., and
Dorothy Visel VanGiesen, of
Ypsilanti, were united in marriage by Rev. Alvin Siemsen
at St. Paul's church here
Christmas Eve. Mrs. Kuhnsis
the daughter of Reuben Visel
of Saline.
SANTA CLAUS VISITS
THE FRED HACK HOME
"You did a swell job, 'Gus-
sie'," declared Mrs. Fred Hack
in thanking Santa Claus for his
grand performance on the evening of December 25th, when
he appeared at the Hack home
at nine o'clock and distributed
the gifts, placed under the
Christmas tree, among the 56
guests who had gathered for
their annual Christmas family
reunion.
Forty-two members and
their guests gathered at the
Rhoades home in Macon, Thursr
day, December 19, to celebrate
their annual Christmas party.
The house was festive in its
holiday decorations, and each
member brought a gift to put
on the tree.
The hostess served a delicious dinner at one o'clock, after
which the president, Mrs. Ida
Mehler called the meeting to
order.
Following the business session
the meeting was turned over to
Mrs. Jessie Forsythe, the program chairman. The program
opened by the group singing
Christmas songs. Grace Holcomb gave the reading on
"Sampling the Fruit Cake" and
Genevieve Holcomb, a reading
on "Cleaning Out Your Corners."
At 3:15 p.m., six girls from
the Macon school came and
sang Christmas Carols. Olga
Graf and Genevieve Holcomb
presented the gifts.
Mrs. Winnie Boyd invited
the Club to attend her meeting
in January.
CURRIE TO SPEAK
AT WOMAN'S CLUB
FIRST GERMAN GI FIANCEES ARRIVE . .. The first group of German fiancees of American GFs are shows as they arrived at New York
City by air from Berlin. They were enroute to the hometowns of their
respective husbands-to-be where the marriages 'wfll take place, tef t
to right: Martha Iiehmann, 20; Hildegarde Eichler, 19; Ellen Krause,
21; Ursula Jablonski, 23; Ursula Greunke, 31; Heide Von Strosch, 20,
and Edith Quabeck, 21,
A meeting of the Saline Woman's Club will be held at
2:30 on the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 7 at the home of Mrs.
Alvin Siemsen when Donald M.
Currie, former Ford school
supervisor, will deliver an address. Each member is requested to bring a guest.
NEW PASTOR TO HOLD
OPEN HOUSE
New Year's Day open house
will be held in the new manse
of the Federated church at 219
S. Ann Arbor street, on January 1, when the pastor, the
Rev Henry McKenzie and family, invite all friends and members of the church to call between the hours of 5:Q0 and
9:00 p.m. An informal program is being arranged for the
occasion.
HAYNES LOSE HOME
AT LAKE CITY
Fire destroyed the Lake City
home of Mr. and Mrs. Garnet
Haynes, and all of the contents, Monday before Christmas. Haynes is the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Ben Haynes, and a
former resident of Saline.
A WINNER AT THE
INTERNATIONAL
One of the things that disturb us is why the incoming administration does not consider
a means of getting along with
its present income, which is the
greatest that has ever poured
into its coffers.
Our legislature could set a
very good example for labor,
which is clamoring for pay
hikes, by getting along on the
present revenue, and at the
same time set a pattern for the
nation. While competent authorities warn the GI this is
not the time to buy a home because of the exhorbitant prices,
administrative leaders continue
their plans for a vast program
of public building at costs that
have more than doubled Original estimates. No thought
there of putting it off! And
the conservation commission
will ask the new legislature to
increase their revenue by 100
per cent through the increase
of hunting and fishing license
fees!
Of course the State's big cry
comes from the fact that it has
lost -a goodly slice of the 3 per
cent sales tax which will be returned to municipalities and
school districts. Now it will endeavor to come back at us with
some new form of taxation to
make up the loss. We believe
it one of the most commendable things the voters of Michigan have done in a long time
when they decided to Bang onto one of their dangling purse
strings in the recent election.
The more the controls of the
spending of public funds are retained in the peoples' hands,
the better accounting they will
get and the more for their
money. Easy come, easy go, is
always the way with other's
dough!
Let the new state administration in 1947 highly resolve
The Saline Community Fair
Association are sponsors of the
Farmers' Day Caravan which
will visit Saline on Monday,
January 27.
Clayton Ernst placed third in
the 4-H Club sheep-shearing
contest at the recent international Livestock Exposition at
Chicago, which was good for
a §50 award.
'Tis said that the present
generation is much slower in
paying their bills than the last*
—we suppose at different tamps
of the month we're of different generations.
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