<P> In 1935, the federal government formed a Drought Relief Service (DRS) to coordinate relief activities . The DRS bought cattle in counties which were designated emergency areas, for $14 to $20 a head . Animals determined unfit for human consumption were killed; at the beginning of the program, more than 50 percent were so designated in emergency areas . The DRS assigned the remaining cattle to the Federal Surplus Relief Corporation (FSRC) to be used in food distribution to families nationwide . Although it was difficult for farmers to give up their herds, the cattle slaughter program helped many of them avoid bankruptcy . "The government cattle buying program was a blessing to many farmers, as they could not afford to keep their cattle, and the government paid a better price than they could obtain in local markets ." </P> <P> President Roosevelt ordered the Civilian Conservation Corps to plant a huge belt of more than 200 million trees from Canada to Abilene, Texas to break the wind, hold water in the soil, and hold the soil itself in place . The administration also began to educate farmers on soil conservation and anti-erosion techniques, including crop rotation, strip farming, contour plowing, terracing, and other improved farming practices . In 1937, the federal government began an aggressive campaign to encourage farmers in the Dust Bowl to adopt planting and plowing methods that conserved the soil . The government paid reluctant farmers a dollar an acre to practice the new methods . By 1938, the massive conservation effort had reduced the amount of blowing soil by 65% . The land still failed to yield a decent living . In the fall of 1939, after nearly a decade of dirt and dust, the drought ended when regular rainfall finally returned to the region . The government still encouraged continuing the use of conservation methods to protect the soil and ecology of the Plains . </P> <P> At the end of the drought, the programs which were implemented during these tough times helped to sustain a positive relationship between America's farmers and the federal government . </P> <P> The President's Drought Committee issued a report in 1935 covering the government's assistance to agriculture during 1934 through mid-1935: it discussed conditions, measures of relief, organization, finances, operations, and results of the government's assistance . Numerous exhibits are included in this report . </P>

What were some of the effects of the dust bowl