Re: Conquest of the Land Through Seven Thousand Years .. ha

[Keith Addison <keith@journeytoforever.org>]

Dear Tom

I'm so glad you like this book. I fully agree with your assessment of 
it, truly a buried classic. Having read Lowdermilk and Dale & Carter 
(who borrow from Lowdermilk), and also Edward Hyams' "Soil & 
Civilization" and a few others, revisiting a work like Toynbee's "A 
Study of History" is a real eye-opener: if Toynbee had read 
Lowdermilk his view would have been rather different. Or maybe not 
that different, but certainly much better.

>Dear Keith, Steve  and all:
>
>I have long considered the booklet
>
>Conquest of the Land Through Seven Thousand Years
>by
>W. C. Lowdermilk
>
>
>one of the all time greats of renewable biomass literature.  He wrote it just
>after the U.S. conquered the dustbowl, to our everlasting credit.  Thanks for
>the reference to it at
>
>            
>http://soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010113topsoilandciv/010113topsoi 
>l.toc.html
>
>
>which I have just reread with pleasure.  I'm thinking the the Biomass Energy
>Foundation should distribute it (free?) with our books as we do with Trees by
>Jean Giono.

They'd certainly make a good pair. It would be excellent if you could do that.

>Conquest of the Land...   ends with a blessing  
>
>THOU SHALT INHERIT THE HOLY EARTH AS A FAITHFUL STEWARD, CONSERVING ITS
>RESOURCES AND PRODUCTIVITY FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION. THOU SHALT
>SAFEGUARD THY FIELDS FROM SOIL EROSION, THY LIVING WATERS FROM DRYING UP, THY
>FORESTS FROM DESOLATION, AND PROTECT THY HILLS FROM OVERGRAZING BY THY HERDS,
>THAT THY DESCENDANTS MAY HAVE ABUNDANCE FOREVER.
>
>and a curse...
>IF ANY SHALL FAIL IN THIS STEWARDSHIP OF THE LAND THY FRUITFUL FIELDS SHALL
>BECOME STERILE STONY GROUND AND WASTING GULLIES, AND THY DESCENDANTS SHALL
>DECREASE AND LIVE IN POVERTY OR PERISH FROM OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH
>
>which we should all take to heart.

Yes! Maybe not just "should" though: must, or else?

Best wishes

Keith Addison

>
>TOM REED           BEF PRESS
>
>
>
>
>In a message dated 1/18/01 6:31:38 PM Mountain Standard Time,
>keith@journeytoforever.org writes:
>
>
>>
>>
>>http://soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010113topsoilandciv/010113topso 
>>il.toc.html
>>
>
>
>
>
>Dr. Thomas B. Reed
>President - The Biomass Energy Foundation
>1810 Smith Rd., Golden, CO 80401
>Reedtb2@cs.com;  303 278 0558;  www.woodgas.com
>
>Research Director,
>The Community Power Corporation,
>8420 S. Continental Divide Rd., Suite 100
>Littleton, CO 80127
>303 933 3135;  treed@gocpc.com;  www.gocpc.com

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