The 1930s During the 1930s, an economic depression, combined with years of drought and the everpresent wind, forced some farmers to leave their farms. In many cases, crop failures diminished agricultural incomes to the point that they did not cover agricultural expenses. Others persevered and continued to develop the Saskatchewan agricultural industry. What was referred to as The Depression in the rest of the world was called the Dirty Thirties on the prairies. For nine years farmers had to combat a variety of adverse conditions. drought insect infestations erosion low prices The blustery winds of the prairies, combined with extreme drought of the thirties, created horrendous dust storms that people who lived through it will never forget. The surface soils of sections of land were lifted and deposited several metres deep in ditches and dried-out sloughs. The southern part of Saskatchewan suffered more than the northern part. The drought emphasized Palliser's prediction that Palliser's Triangle was a desert-like environment. The area north of a line along the Qu'Appelle River; Saskatoon ; North Battleford area still produced average to good crops. All Saskatchewan producers, however, were affected by the shortage of money and low prices for produce. Farmers left the land, abandoning over 2,000,000 cultivated acres. Some resettled in the northern parkland. Some farmers depended on the government for support, called relief. Many farmers returned to using horses. Some used horses to pull motorless family cars.