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iDLi1'314 nec~ssary, but also because 'the prac- tices to control erosion will preclude tbe possibility of farming the large acre- agcs that have been cultivated in the past. Cash crops must be for the most part eliminated and erosion-resistant feed crops grown in their place. Wheat farming is definitely to be discouraged. Some of the soil abuse may be attri- buted to the fact tbat most farms were too small to provide an adequate in- come from liv~stock, and continuous cash-crop farming was necessary. Six- ty-five percent of the farms were 720 acres or 'less, according to a survey made by the Bureau of Agricultural Economics in 1936. Only 70 farms in the county were larger than 1,920 acres, a few of which were over 10,000 ncres. Many fnrms were as small as 160 neres. The smnll units were formed during the period of expanding wheat produc- tion nnd most of them have failed. Visible evidence alone of erosion and nbandoncd homes indicnte that a ehnnge in land use is desimble. On lnnds of classes IV nnd VI a complete reorgan- ization of entire farm units may be neeessnry sinec this is the only wny to obtain enough grazing lnnd to support 0, profitable livcstock enterprise. Complete studies have not bcen mnde to determine the lllnnbm' of families the resources will support if properly used. It is the geneI'u.! consensus, how~ver, thnt the present number of farm fnmi- lies in tbe county can be rehabilitated if the la,nd is uscd nccording to its capability and other necessary ndjust- ments are made. Because most soils in 'Baca County are highly erodible, public control of land to some degree appears to be nn essential part of a conservation pro- gram.' Individuals may control ero- sion on their own lnnd nnd still hnve their crops ruined by soil blown from nearby unprotected fields. The two districts in Bncn County adopted in 1938 regulations to control the plowing of grassland. As their programs move forwnrd nnd as the public becomes aware of the destruction caused by erosion and of the benefits of conserva- tion fnrming, locnl people may desire to extend regulations for the protection nnd conservation of land. Public ownership of some eroding or erodible lnnd mny be necessary to bring about necessary conservation treat- ments and shifts in land use. Privnte capital even with public subsidy is' in mnny cases unwilling to attempt mnk- ing the shifts. Public subsidy with insufficient control on land in privnte ownership is ineffective. Acquisition of many acres of land by Federal, State, or county governments will per- mit estnblislunent and maintenance of grass cover and regulation of grazing, Land that is to be restored to native vegetation by private owners need not be ncquired. Almost 44 percent of the fnrm oper- ators are tenants. Most lellScs nre for 1 year. Many tenants move every year, 8Jld the remainder have no assur- ance that they will not be required to move, Because a conservation pro- gram in Baea County is a long-time progrnm of lnnd use and adjustment, no conservation progmm can be fully effective unless some way is devised to stabilize tenure, Some progress has been made to date particulnrly through efforts of the Farm Security Adminis- tration, LongCterm flexible credit is essential for most fnrmers to mnke the necessary adjustments in their farm organizations. Desirable credit should (1) be used to encourage a conservation type of farm- ing rather than a speculative and ex-' ploitive type; (2) be accompanied by a reasonable amount of supervision; (3) hnve n rate of repayment flexible enough ,to permit borrowers to take full advantage of fluctuations in price and weather; and (4) have a period of loan long enough to permit the bor- rower to mnke the necessary adjust- ments in his farm organization. Land in Baea County has been as- sessed primarily on the bnsis of topog- mphy. Land thnt could be plowed wns lISsessed as tillable land and carried 0, much higher valuntion than rough grazing land. In 1937, 62.5 percent of the land was assessed ns dry-farming land, although only 46.8 percent of the Western and Southeastern Baca County Soil Conservation Districts, Colorado 29 ;:'"