Heritage We Guard, A (1940)

[Music] bir [Music] [Music] the [Applause] [Music] the first faint rays in the the dawn of American History disclosed to the earliest settlers the accumulated wealth of countless thousands of years from the beginning of time nature had used this vast almost uninhabited continent as a treasure house for her abundant riches the dense forest front effectively shrouded in mystery all that lay Beyond holding within its depths a world such as we in our time have never known in that world denisons of the Wilderness surveyed a vast domain over which they held Undisputed sway here countless creatures of the wild found protection in [Music] sanctuary [Music] beyond the forests of the Appalachians beyond the Mississippi River Inland A Thousand Miles a mighty treeless empire spread West to faint Horizons it was an Empire of grass on this treeless grass land prospered Buffalo and numbers difficult to visualize today history tells us of 40 million Buffalo well fed on Lush grasses these powerful beasts were the largest of all animals on the Great Plains where once the hoof beats of a thousand thundering herds left their Mark today there is but a romantic memory known first as Wapiti by Indians there were elk in herds of thousands throughout the land in places where today the traffic of great cities roars The Silence of the wild was often Shattered by the bugling of these great Stags creatures like deer roamed freely governed only by the laws of [Music] nature the pronghorn antelope fastest runner in America ranged from the Great Plains to the Pacific his Sleek graceful presence made him one of the most magnificent of all big game animals and grizzly bears one time monarchs of the wild Grizzlies roam throughout the western part of America they were huge ponderous beasts often weighing 1,000 lb or more Grizzlies though were peaceful even playful animals when left alone but when aroused they fought with a savageness and fury seldom seen in this world these great bears like all truly wild creatures have lost in the battle between the Wilderness and man today they are nearly gone and the Silence of the great mountain ranges was often Shattered by the shrill def B Eagle Mighty individual Fierce and free symbol of a great nation of free and independent people on the continent's waterways wild foul bred and lived and died in uncounted myriads egrets herons ducks in great variety geese and lesser Birds found Haven in still ponds and quiet [Music] lakes and of all these things no fight man knew at [Music] first [Music] [Applause] [Music] la [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh wild animals played a vital and dramatic role in the settlement of our country they provided the food and clothing that made it possible for early explorers to live in the wilderness fortunes were made on the trails of the fur bearers ever alert for Indian attack Trappers push wward farther and farther into an Uncharted continent in search of valuable pelts more precious than gold and silver the fur Frontier preceded by a 100 years the agricultural Frontier in America and Priceless caros of American Furs were shipped to Europe at an enormous [Music] profit along the trails of Trappers and explorers other men continued to penetrate the Wilderness they came to make homes they cleared more and more land cleared land for cultivation of food to feed themselves and their [Music] children from crude iron they forged the plow shares that planted a new civilization following an ever expanding ever receding Frontier and the others who came after them cleared the land just beyond little did they know that in their Zeal to conquer the Wilderness they were at the same time sewing the seeds of [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] adversity [Music] and so as we know every day more and more settlers took up the trail that led into the sunset on and on they pressed until the Far West itself became settled here in the Arid grassland cattle thrived fatten great herds of them roamed the Prairies as did the Buffalo before them fortunes were made by cattle Kings grinding Jaws followed the receding grass up into the hills for ever increasing numbers of cattle and sheep the grass could not grow fast enough they ripped the grass cover from the soil and left it exposed to the ravages of wind and rain it was here that erosion first began in the Great [Music] West [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] where you going Joe yeah what your hurry Joe I'm going up the river and watch up the river Joe well we a lot of free land to be had up there and I'm going to get [Applause] [Music] mine then Westward to the vast open regions moved the farmer cultivation spread over the land slowly at first because there were few people but faster and faster as more and more homesteaders were attracted by free land ever and ever increasing in size and abundance were the crops there was no thought of the damage that might follow it was a far cry from the wooden plow stock of the pioneer to the blades of Steel that rolled back more and more Grassman lifted The Sod from the Great Plains finally mass production reached the [Applause] Farms protection was stripped from the [Music] land [Music] [Music] there could be but one [Music] result [Music] along the highways and byways of the nation wherever men lived on the land the ugly tooth marks of erosion told the same story the story of man's needless waste of nature plentiful [Music] resources and man paid a terrible price in human suffering for his misuse of the [Music] land soil and Wildlife had disappeared together along with a vegetation that served as a protection to the one and a home for the other a billion gaping gullies encroached upon cultivated Fields pastures and even highways chasms carved by erosion worn out land now filled with worn out tools discarded by [Music] man and each new storm cut deeper and deeper into productive [Music] farmland [Music] rains falling on unprotected Fields hastened to collect in reals and gullies precious tap soil was washed from the land through every channel flowed the drgs that choke our streams the silt that destroys food and habitat for [Music] fish something had to be done in Washington the Machinery devoted to the needs of 130 million people was thrown into action all over the country demonstr areas was set up to Aid farmers in conserving their soil Hugh Bennett chief of the present day soil conservation service and ding Darling former Chief of the Bureau of biological survey knew that wildlife and soil were related resources in their conferences they inaugurated a program that recognized the interlocking nature of soil and Wildlife problems vegetation used to protect the soil provides a place for a wildlife to live and the measures for soil conservation can be adapted to conserve wild life it was not forgotten in these conferences that Wildlife combats insect pests pest that already cost us more than a billion and5 dollar every year the anop mosquito for example Carri of malaria levies a toll of $125 million yearly this and other mosquitoes deposit their eggs on the water's surface and upon their larve feed the wildlife of the water death for the undesirable mosquito means life for desirable forms of wildlife $120 million racketeer the cotton bow weevil and the $25 million gangster the grasshopper destroyer of corn and small grain throughout the Corn Belt and Great Plains grasshoppers May consume a farmer's entire crop in a few days it is upon insects such as these that many birds [Music] feed the gulls of the Great Plains have long been famous for the way they follow the plow and devour injurious insects turned up in cation in Salt Lake City there is a monument to these gulls that once save the crops of the [Music] Mormons where they are not mistakenly persecuted Hawks keep constant vigil over fields for destructive rodents and at night owls take up the hunt between them they wage NeverEnding aerial Warfare on Farm racketeers but useful rodents like the beaver build dams to store precious water in the High Country where floods stop When Storms and torrant burst upon the hills and threaten The Valleys below Beaver Dan slow the rush of water downhill thus they help retain upon the land Untold quantities of precious topsoil and the Beaver also has other [Music] uses the Romance of the furb is strikes a deep respondent chord in the hearts of all who love beauty and [Music] Adventure lustrous Furs to Adorn me lady beautiful and a thousand graceful models buy for the wild animals found on the farms of [Music] America [Music] Furs runs into many millions of dollars and the fur business is still rooted in the [Applause] soil on Farm Marsh lands throughout the country peculiar Mounds which are the homes of the Muskrat rise above the water this little fellow thrives in swampy places and needs little care or attention his glossy coat provides an extra source of income for the farmer and many are the famous trait label garments from the fur of the Muskrat along Farm streams The Mink may still be found thoughtful management can often add his Pelt to the list of farm products and the mink coat is among the most highly prized of all Furs the well-known skunk or pole cat often too well known is famous too for fur [Music] Creations a friendly fellow is the raccoon a playful pet an excellent game animal and the source of beautiful Furs the beaver tireless engineer and producer of valuable pelts the weasel is glamorously known to history as Royal herit and the red fox native of farmwoods famous for Furs and famous for the [Music] hunt when sport is King Wildlife provides directly and indirectly a means of livelihood to many people as well as a means of recreation to many more in addition to purchasing guns rods and other gear Sportsmen travel far a field in search of good hunting and fishing and their needs provide added income throughout the country to the Sportsman Wildlife provides a means of escape from the usual routine a refreshing stimulation to be found in nothing [Music] else in that happy Hunting Ground of all true nimrods there are no distracting deer when one's a field for [Music] birds [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] and there are many who find Solace and wisdom in the great out of doors to them the sounds of nature blend to form a perfect Symphony all of these things were considered by the men developing conservation program on all fronts the work of conserving the soil and its many products went [Music] forward back on the land went cover to protect the soil and furnish a home for wildlife destroyed land put back to use gullies cut by unchecked Waters were planted with protecting vegetation that halted erosion and furnished a Haven for birds and animals across the slopes of fields were flung Terraces to hold back Fallen rains to slow up the speed of water and reduce its scouring [Music] power crops were arranged in alternating strips to check silk movement on the lands Contours Hedges were planted to hold the soil old and thoughtless practices of brushing and burning along fence rows stopped for this destroyed the protection that Wildlife must have to [Applause] survive and in the newly created habitats the return of the creatures of the wild began but always winged threats to safety keep constant watch for lards that stray too far from protecting Lanes of cover [Music] where cover and food is ample Wildlife will be plenty in the Open Fields ring neck pheasants make their home here also is the bobbling in his gy coat of black and white the field Sparrow's plain of call is well known to all Bergl his mate nearby brings insects to her [Music] young other sparrows busily look for weed seeds in the litter on the ground within the protective cover of bordering shrubs and trees our eyes trespass the privacy of a Yellow Warbler at home here too are the homes of the catb bird Cardinal brown thrasher and the chat Farm ponds that hold back two Swift Waters at the heads of watersheds provide refuge for wild ducks and other water fowl not so long ago in serious Straits in these protected places the Redwing blackbirds build their nest sandpipers live along the shore as do wild ducks and a host of other [Music] [Music] birds well protected Woodlands hold the soil in Woodland borders shrubs offer food and shelter for birds and other creatures a mother Cardinal feeds her young here and Bob White scratch for food food among the [Music] leaves amid the undergrowth the cat bird may be found while deeper in the forest perhaps the rough grous strutting proud and Popp and here too live squirrels Chipmunks and other Woodland Wildlife stream Banks formerly undercut fertile Fields because too closely plowed or cut by sharp hoofs of cattle these are ugly sites are planted to trees and shrubs vegetation that keeps the water cool for fish and holds the banks from [Music] crumbling in the new Greenery along the stream all kinds of farm wildlife find shelter and food here the green heron surveys the scene with an apathetic eye the fly catcher keeps a lookout for insects on the wing and the king fisher pauses with a minnow in his beak here also are water thrushes beavers mink and many many others creatures of the wild need protection where they find it they will be [Music] found [Music] and the land needs protection too for more than 300 years its Rolling Hills and Broad valleys have felt the rule of the white men they have been subject to his will and his law they have fed him sheltered him and made him rich and Powerful but he has ever demanded more and more from the land and in exacting his demands he has sped the ravage of erosion may his eyes see the warnings apparent on every hand May the intelligence that has made him ruler show him how to guard well his Rich Heritage how to use without destroying how to pass on to his children a better world than the one in which he lives [Music] the