Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-09-03
From the Southern CuNtrator.
Horizontal Culture.

ing land the great SINE qua nonin good farming.
| The idea of farming Oh the old fashion straight
row system, is equally as absurd and preposterous,
at the present enlightened day, us farming with
out the least knowledge Of or what is still worse,
no confidence in, and blind prejudice against
the revelations of agricultural engineering. The
new lights which are now beaming upon the art
Of agriculture, are being presented with such IT.
REPUTABLE force of argument, and statistical data,
that cgotism and prejudice are bound to yield
their old treasured systems, to the votarics Of
science. Yet you will find four-fiths Of the Ian!
tiers at the South, to this day. running their corn
and cotton rows straight and down hill many
of them are hard to convince otherwise. Yet l
trust the day is not far distant in the dim vista
of the future, when the art Of agriculture and
the scientific planter will be elevated, by su-
perior knowledge of the mocluS operandi Of the
different chemical constituents of the soil, re pro-
duction and growth of plants, to that position
of standing which will command the respect and
admiration OF an enlightened community.
| Taking into consideration the different ranges
of mountains, and the hills or ridges which ra-
diate from them in all directions, in the United
States, it is manifest that at least four tfths OF
all the cultivated portion of country, must lie
more or less undulating. There are, it is true,
some portions of every county in the different
States, that have some lands which might be
termed level, but when compared with that which
is either mountainous, hv or undulatiLg, it di
minishes to a very insignificant parcel; even that
which is considered to be level, by 4 careful hor
zontal inspection YOU will find TO possess some
places q little lower than that which surrounds
it, thus creating basin, which collects and re-
tains water after it has disappeared in other
parts of the field, thereby to the dctriment of
the planted or growing crop. Thus you will per-
ceive that the horizontal culture is applicable to
no inconsiderable portion Of the land, which is
at present in state of barbarous cultivation.
All the different kinds Of manure (guano, &c.,
avaeth but little to q man who places it in his
field, on the inclined plains, (which are always
certain to stand in need Of the most Of it and
then runs water turrows, from every three to five
feet apart draining it out OF his licld into the
creeks and bayous, without having reaped but
little of its bcncti,s. Go with lie into i field
where the land lies the least unduating, the de-
clension being even less than an angle Of Is de-
grees, there | will show YOU Oh every hill side, if
the field has been cultivated many years, the
yellow dirt or clay exposed, without but little Of
the surface soil, which is tOuMd on the more level
portions Of the field, together with innumcrable
! gullics or water turrows, which were all first
started by tie plowcr, under the direction Of bad
management, some Of them sufficiently large to
Jump your horse. Now if YOU are disposed to
ask the question, How am | to prevent the
formation Of these gullieS, and retain the soil i'll
its original purity or in that state Of fertility to
which YOU have resuscitatcd it by art! would
say get you spirit level, and adopt the horizon
tai culture instantcr; then You will free yourself
| from the greatest bone Of conLcntion which be-
sets the farmers path, namely, the wasting away
of his soil. You will then have it in such Il con
dition, that its fertility can only be diminished
by evaporation, and what is extracted in the
growth Of plants, which by an enlightened theory
of cultivation, you may easily in great degree
restore and improve with certainty that it will
not in the course of few short months or years,
traverse your ncy yhbor's fields, ell route for the
| rtccr.
All lands do not require to be placed on exact
" the same degree of level it will have to vary
| somewhat, according to the character and con-
diton Of the soil more particularly according
to the degree Of perpendcularity.- ty.-This may be
better illustrated and more easily understood by
example. For instance, | will say that We first
take field that is termed level yet by close
inspection, we lind in it some ponds, flat bayouS,
or basins, all of which are reservoirs Of water,
during the winter or spring. Ii You plant such
| places, You have to take extra paus to prepare
them. Now | say, place the row in such field
on dead level. After you once get your ridges
made and they stand awhile to harden, no more
water will be found in such places than falls on
other parts of the field, the process Of excava-
ton will be more rapid, and you can cultivate
the same as elsewhere. Each row will retain its
own water, for the simple reason that it cannot
get over the ridge.
Now we will take all lands which lie from a
level, up to an angle Of 45 degrees, place these
rows also on 4 level, no inclination whatever but
dead level and away with your hill side bitches,
for these reasons When your ridges are well
thrown up,which should always be done in pre-
pairing fora crop-two horse plows preferable to
one horse, whether for cotton Or corr-but you
are not always compelled to liant your corn
upon these high ridges, if it does not suit your
taste. You can make a smaller ridge between
these by two turrows with a one horse plow, and
n)ant either on it or under it, following on after
with your cotton block. Your ridges will then
measure from eight to twelve inches in height;
they should certainly be eight or nine, if you can