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<br />BALANCE, DEVELOPMENT, HARMONY. 13
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<br />that the moraine dammed the Missouri River and forced it to
<br />flow southward on the contour for many hundred miles.
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<br />The glaciers as landscape gardeners made the beautiful
<br />mixed farming country east of the Missouri River. Beginning at
<br />the southern edge of North Dakota, it left great sub-soil deposits
<br />of heavy glacier clay through the central part of South Dakota,
<br />where the clay gradually mixed with gravel until at the south
<br />end of the basin is found loess, a very fine ground rock which
<br />has evidently moved from its original deposit. A large area dis-
<br />plays the lateral and'terminal morains of the great glaciers. Thus
<br />was formed a percentage of rolling hills with a contour farming
<br />problem. Also the terrific erosion of the ice and the mass of
<br />unstratified material dumped, by the glaciers has destroyed and
<br />covered hidden' drainage and, ground water feeder systems. Al-
<br />most anywhere the subsoil. is ideal for absorbing rainfall and
<br />releasing it gradually' to growing plants. The exception, of
<br />course, is lucky Nebraska which is underlaid by a huge lake of
<br />water. However the artesian basin, if conserved, promises re-
<br />lief to one ground, water, deficiency area. In this great mixed
<br />farming tract we find ground 'water,sunshine. rich soUra mini-
<br />mlim - need moisture 'recOrd,. with only one major hazard- ero-
<br />sion by wind and to a lesser degree by water action.
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<br />West of the Missouri River is found a huge empire, a cattle-
<br />man's paradise, a vast sea of grass dotted by forests, mountain
<br />clusters, small but rich farming valleys, vast lignite coal deposits,
<br />minerals, irrigation prospects, power sites, construction clays
<br />of cement, bentonite and gypsum, and some oil and gold. The
<br />hazard to conservation in this area is that it slopes with the
<br />prevailing wind and that its streams are rapid. Its future de-
<br />pends on the shallow nine inches of top soil held by the grass
<br />roots, this same grass that is the wealth of this vast area.
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<br />Water falling as rain in the forest is retarded in its rapid
<br />run-off by the fallen timber, brush and the thick bed of accumu-
<br />lated leaves. Water thus retarded soaks into the ground and
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