Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1853-01-19
farnltrs department,
From the Soil of the South.
PREMIUM ESSAY ON HILLSIDE DITcH-NG,

IN PhEmlum Eooh1 oN r1LL-oIOi pA1erl-Nu,
s Read before The Second Annual Fair of the
! Georgia and Alabama agricultural Society.
BY NELSON CLAYTON
In performing this Indispensable work for
the preservation a7Nl Improvement Of land,
there is great diversity of opinion as to the
hest manner in which it is to be done-dif.
fering, too, as to the most essential points.
. But this difference is the result, in a great
4 degree, of the diversity and Iregularity Of
Il our hills, knobs and valleys, as we'll as of
a the nature Of the soil If all our land re-
i quiring hillside bitches were perfect in
4 clined pane with the same grade from top
to bottom, perhaps this difference would not
eXist-or if it did, it would be much easier
4 to ascertain and correct the errors and es.
ta5lsh something like uniform system.
4 Under the many disadvantages by which the
4 work is surrounded, all that can be done is
to lay down some general rules, leaving the
balance to the experience and practical
sense Of the operator. In multitude of
counsel there is safety" will therefore
give the result of several years. experience
and close observation, prcfacing it with the
hopeit may be found Of some little service
to some one desirous of information upon
the subject-not claiming for my essay any
thing on account of literary merit.
The frame with which work is made of
two pieces Of plank nine feet long, three and
Il halfinches wide, three quarters of an inch
thick. Fasten the upper ends Of the planEs
together in the form of compass, or rattcr,
placing the lower ends fifteen feet apart.
Four feet nine inches from the lower ends
of each piece (this can be varied, however,
to suit the height Of the person who is to
carry the frame) attach two small slips of
plank lone and a half inch by five .eishtls)
upon opposite sides across them, which are
to act as Il support for the water or spirit
level, as well as to flsten the two arms of
the compass or frame together, and make
them steady. 1t will also he better to tasten
two narrow strips together in two or three
places to make them more sruA On the
middle Of these two narrow strips is fasten-
ed the level. There can be no doubt Of its
superiority over the plumbline on account Of
its requiring less time to use it, particularly
on wintry day. The frame can now be
taken to some place that is perfectly level,
and by reversing the ends, ascertain that it
is right. If it is not perfectly level, it can
be made so by moving one end of the cross
slat up or down. After this is done, mark
on the level the exact point at which the
vacuum stands-then elevate one end Of
the frame one, two, three and four inches,
and mark upon the level each time as at
first Now get at least one hundred small
canes or sticks about eighteen inches long.
You will have one "a small boy will do) to
clrry the sticks He should walk on the
opposite side of the frame, and place one in
the ground few inches back of the foot
of the frame, upon the same side that heis
on, so that in moving the frame for another
stride, you can place the back end or foot
exactly where the front one stood
The fall or grade to he given to the ditch
depends upon the length-whether it is
straight or crooked-the quality of the soil,
and to some extent the grade of The hill !
will give, for instance, the grade to be used
upon gray laud having a light sandy or
gravelly clay foundation, as it is much the
most difficult If the ditch is to be two or
three hundred yards long, nearly straight,
with only long and gentle curves, the first
stride of fifteen feet, at the upper end,
should have four inches fal-the next three
and then the first hundred yards should
have two and half inches fail to every
fifteen feet The second two, and the third
hundred yards should have only one and a
half inches fall to the fifteen feet. The
velocity gained by water in running any dis
tauce makes it necessary that the grade or
fall should be diminished about this proper
ton to the length Of the ditch. If, however,
the ditch should be very crooked, add a half
that to the rate Of fall. At very short
crooks for the first stride below, add as
much rs an half inch, for the purpose of
carrying off the sand that would otherwise
accumulate at such places. If the ditch
should be perfectly or nearly straight as
much as one hundred yards, the fall might
be the same as the rate given above for
straight bitches. Upon steep hill.sides, the
bitches require more fall than where they
are only moderate. This is necessary to
prevent them from filling up, on account Of
the force with which the water and sand
come into them for let your bitches he ever
so close together, in very hard rains there
will be some sand washed in from above
/ have some short bitches on very steep
hill.sides, as much as from three to five
inches.
These grades, or this work, to the mex.
perienced, may appear complicated, but not
so with the experienced. 1t takes but little
practice, accompanied with good Judgment,
for any one, by looking at the land, to tell
whether the ditch will be stright or crooked,
long or short; and if he should be mistaken,
it is better to run it off again than suffer it
to remain wrong--for to make the fall
greater or less is a very easy matter when
your level is marked as before directed.
The only difference between the grading
or fall, given the ditch in red stiff land, or
where there is good clay foundation, and
the above, is that the fall may be made, for
the reason it is less liable to wash.
In commencing to ditch you will first
take general view of the land. Perhaps
from some local cause there is some particu-
lar place where ditch should be-or some
starting point (cithcr above or below where,
above all others, there should be ditch
II neglected to say before, you can go up
hill in running your ditch, as we'll as down,
b,, sim, al a, ro,nrc;p,, Tho ondc or ,-orr f,on,o