2
" Why is the forest such an effective agent in the prevention of soil erosion and in feeding
the springs and rivers? The forest does two things: (1) the trees and undergrowth break up
the rainfall into fine spray and the litter on the ground protects the soil from erosion; (2)
the residues of the trees and animal life met with in all woodlands are converted into
humus, which is then absorbed by the soil underneath, increasing its porosity and waterholding
power. The soil cover and the soil humus together prevent erosion and at the same
time store large volumes of water. These factors -- soil protection, soil porosity, and water
retention -- conferred by the living forest cover, provide the key to the solution of the soil
erosion problem. All other purely mechanical remedies such as terracing and drainage are
secondary matters, although of course important in their proper place. The soil must have
as much cover as possible; it must be well stocked with humus so that it can drink in and
retain the rainfall. It follows, therefore, that in the absence of trees there must be a grass
cover, some cover-crop, and ample provision for keeping up the supply of humus." (An Agricultural Testament) "
― Albert Howard
6
" The soil is, as a matter of fact, full of live organisms. It is essential to conceive of it as something pulsating with life, not as a dead or inert mass. There could be no greater misconception than to regard the earth as dead: a handful of soil is teeming with life. The living fungi, bacteria, and protozoa, invisibly present in the soil complex, are known as the soil population. This population of millions and millions of minute existences, quite invisible to our eyes of course, pursue their own lives. They come into being, grow, work, and die: they sometimes fight each other, win victories, or perish; for they are divided into groups and families fitted to exist under all sorts of conditions. The state of a soil will change with the victories won or the losses sustained; and in one or other soil, or at one or other moment, different groups will predominate. "
― Albert Howard , The Soil and Health: A Study of Organic Agriculture
18
" But the purpose of agriculture is quite different from that of a factory. It has to provide food in
order that the race may flourish and persist. The best results are obtained if the food is
fresh and the soil is fertile. Quality is more important than weight of produce. Farming is
therefore a vital matter for the population and ranks with the supply of drinking water,
fresh air, and protection from the weather. Our water supplies do not always pay their
way; the provision of green belts and open spaces does not yield a profit; our housing
schemes are frequently uneconomic. Why, then, should the quality of the food on which
still more depends than water, oxygen, or warmth be looked at in a different way? The
people must be fed whatever happens. Why not, then, make a supreme effort to see that
they are properly fed? [...] The
financial system, after all, is but a secondary matter. Economics therefore, in failing to
insist on these elementary truths, has been guilty of a grave error of judgement. "
― Albert Howard
