page 33: "The flattest, driest, most wind-raked, least arable part of the United States was transformed by government incentive, private showmanship, and human desire from the Great American Desert into Eden with a haircut."
Egan had been discussing Boise City, Oklahoma and the scheme used to entice homesteaders to the area....so I'm guessing he's talking about that specific region, not the entire Dust Bowl geography...but not sure.
The absolute flattest? The Black Rock Desert in NW Nevada is flat. The Red River Valley in North Dakota is flat. Ford’s Dearborn Proving Grounds boasts of the flattest stretch of pavement in North America.
The driest? Now I really thought that claim to fame belong to Death Valley.
Most wind-raked?... Does that mean windiest? Mount Washington ranks tops on the windiest, but not sure of the meaning.
Least arable?...or least likely to be arable if a drought comes and converts arable land to non-arable land? 'Least-arable' would be more likely...a parking lot...or urban areas....filled with buildings.
no big deal...just such a specific statement...caught attention.
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