Soil Conservation Act and Domestic Allotment Act, 1935, 1936

   In 1933, Congress made the Soil Conservation Service part of the Department of the Interior on a permanent basis, then relocated it within the Department of Agriculture in 1935, and established soil conservation districts throughout the country as a way of tackling the problems of flooding and erosion. The Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of 1936 was passed after the Supreme Court declared the Agricultural Adjustment Administration unconstitutional. It provided for payments of up to $10 per acre for farmers who substituted such soil-conserving crops as peas, beans, clover, rye, and alfalfa for such soil-depleting crops as cotton, corn, tobacco, and wheat. Money was also provided to assist farmers using fertilizers, lime, potash, and phosphates.