Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1857-01-08
From the Fsrmsr and Mcdaniel
Level Culture.

Society, from which we make lew EXTRACTS,
tending to illustrate his principle and method
Of leveling lands The success which has at
tended Col. Cannon's manner of horizontaliZ-
ing, is well known throughout West Tennes-
see, and many intelligent Planters are adopting
his practice, as we learn, to their entire salts
faction. 1t is well understood that leveling
rows upon hillside lands is of great benefit in
preventing wash of the soil. Many of the
advocates of this system differ from Col. Can
non in the manner in which it should be done:
they advocating slight fall, while he entirely
repudiates the least descent whatever But
we will let him speak for himself as he does,
in the Essay, in very intelligent and practical
manner:
This system of Level Rows and Level Gull
ture has beenscalled mine. AS theory it is
not mine In theory, know, it is not Relr,
and, for aught | know, it may date away back
to ancient Babylon. No claim of the kind, no
paternity on my part, has ever been preferred
by me- The only credit could claim, were l
claiming any, connected with this all-impOrtant
and vital question, might be-that to some ex-
tent have here performed the humble and
unpretending part of pioneer, in proving, not
only its positive practicabilty and its easy ac-
complishment, but its most admirable adapta-
ton and its panaceanic potency in curing the
diseased condition and ministering to the guilt
edly glaring wants of this particular section of
country, at least On my plantation it has
stood the test Of the severeSt ordeal; and hav-
inc its great, incalculable and almost incredi-
bic advantages in the shape of satisfactory,
individual experience, [ willingly-though |
fear very feebly-offer them to others; and do
most earnestly urge upon all to run eUeryRO
eUery FURROw; and were it practicable, would
say, every t0Otpath, every mark made by a
pillow, in going to and from work and every rat
regardless of their length, upon DOWNRIGHT
DEAD LEVEL. In this connection, at least, l
agree in and echo Fallstaff's philosophy, that
Eight yards of uneven ground is three score
and ten miles with me-"
have not gullY, lcaSh or break Of any i'm
portance on any of my arabic land; and where
ever the smallest wash or break is seen-at any
time, upon the application of the level, it is
Invariably found to be consequent upon some
FALL in the rolCS-though sometimes so slight
as to escape the eye, and so short as to be east
" spanned at a single step.
In so earnestly engaging in the advocacy of
this system of culture, | can assure you no
idle purpose Of acquiring empty and ephemeral
ecIat actuates me- | have tried it, know of its
many great advantages, and have proved it a
positive protection against the most crying
evil of the South-the UGShiRq aUag af The
soil; and do again urgently urge upon all to
level your land Do it by all means. and do
it at once Do it for your own sake for the
sake of your children, for pOsterity and the
good of your country; and don't do it, as too
often practiced, with little fall" No! no!
not even with the fraction Of an inch in
mile, or in twenty, should your rows be so
long. Do this, and you may then discard your
hillside bitches, and save the space devoted to
them and the labor of making and keeping
them open. Do this, and you wipe out the
sickly hues from the face Of your hill-sides,
and get rid Of those ghastly gllliies which glare
upon you at every turn, and, like Banquos
ghost, tell of murder. Do this, or stop scratch
ing and soaring the bosom Of your kind mo-
ther.
When I first came to this
country, but little manure was made, and
what necessarily accumulated was rarely all
hauled out | am happy now, however, to re-
port great and most beneficial change in this
respect. | have had manure given to me for
the simple hauling it away, and have always
endeavOred to make as much as possible, and
have frequently succeeded in making more
than ! could conveniently haul and spread
For some time, all | put upon my hill-sides
was so much manure and labor lost; and I'M
fortunately the most of mine was that way
disposed of. Since adopting this system of
level rows and culture my manure is saved,
and my hill-sides are actually becoming my
best land-especially for wheat and clover
Another advantage, and no small one either:
BY this plan you not only retain and return
to the soil every leaf, boil, badc, hcig, and
stalk, that falls or is put upon your land, and
keep the soil from washing away, but you hold
and reap the benefit of every hasty, and some
times heavy, fall Of rain in summer.
Next, as to ditching, allow me to say, its
great importance in Strengthening the Serpen-
tine course Of our branches and creeks, thus
preventing an overflow and rendering their rich
bottoms arabic, and in retaining our wet
glade land, cannot be too strongly urged
upon the attention of our planters. All of my
branches and most of my glades - have thus
been redeemed and rendered productive One
who has never tried it can hardly realize the
magic certainty with which an overflow is pre-
vented, by a straight ROiC Of water along your
branches and ieUeL rOlCS upon your upland
They 90 hand-in-hand in giving to the pillow
and hoe some Of the best land on every plan
tatiOn in this country.
l have a glade theory satisfactorily sustained
l think by experiment which time-f not
propriety-prevents my introducing here.
will simply say to all, instead of ditching
through, ditch around them.
As to side-hill bitches, which presume was
more especially contemplated by the resolu-
tons which call forth this essay, will remark
that do not pretend to dictate or Dramatically
enforce my views upon any one. | quarrel
with no man who chooses to have them. That
is question each one must determine for HIM
self, eUen here. Elsewhere, l have no doubt,
| there are sections of country, the character of
whose surface and soil may render them iRdis-
pensable. Much, 1 should say, must neces-
sarily depend upon the length Of the slope, the
inclination of surface, and the depth and po-
roSity of the soil, in determining their need
any7chere.
Here, l will only say, with a surface vary
| ing from gently undulating to positively brok-
en-, and with pretty good soil and tolera-
| bly, deep and porous substratum Of "yellow
dirt" as it is commonly called before coming
| to the clay, my experience teaches me that
they may safely and praftabIy be dispensed
with, thus saving the time labor and land de-
voted to them; and that they are enly to be
desired-if at alas temporary safeguard
against hasty and imperfect work.
| Your resolutions call upon me for the de-
tails-my modus operandi, etc. There is no
hidden mystery, no magic about it. 1t is sim
pie, plain and easily comprehended and ac-
complished by any pains-taking man, even Of
the commonest capacity. All my land was
Ievelled with an old-aShioned rafter level--the
mode Of making and using which, I.presume,
all understand. It takes but TWO pieces OF
timber-two for the legs and one for the cross
| piece-the length Of the legs height Of apex,