Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-09-08
Ihe STANDARD.

DnAs San: You were, think the FIRST man who
intrp6od Hesisontal Pioughiag IN North Carolina,
bot .i;hga s.h.ps til. profession 4 h''' q the
I was taught 81 you. and have now for more than
twenty years prastced the precise mode which am
about to describe; and here declare, that when the
work hes been properly done, have never been dis
sppointed in my expectations from. it. -
mainly Allowed Capt Hardwick, Of Georgia, whose
elaborate and admirable essays this subject
published in the Cultieotor in the summer of 1856.
TIE LEVEL.
The. level or instrument is the first thing to be
considered. The one which nse is called the Raj
poplar, half inch thick and four inches wide, the
pieces being about6 feet long. They are let into
each other At the top at such angle that the other
two ends or feet are twelve feet apart These ends
are sawed of square, so that they will stand even
upon the ground. A cross bar Of the same sort OF
plank is then secured from one side to the other
across the middle, and the frame Of the instrument
is made
You will now fasten plumb line to the top Of it
exactly and placing the feet of the instrument on an
even Piecs of ground, you will drop the plumb and
mark where the line crosses the cross bar, and the
exact centre between these two points gives you the
true level, which you will mark permanently with a
knife or saw.
Or 70 to carpenters bench and get him to adjust
Q plank twelve feet long, on perfect level With his
spirit level and place your instrument upon it, and
drop the plumb BEFORE and where the line
the cross bar, gives the true level which you will
mark u such.
Then in order to get the different grades which
you viii need in making Hillside bitches, get four
bitssof wood, one inch thick and placing your in
strument exact level, put one piece under the
foot next to you, and dropping the plumb, mark
plainly with knife or saw where the line crosses
bar Them form he me "
q, 5, and pieces at q time in succession, and you
will have scale of grades, from 20 four inches
in twelve feet which you will find sufficient for all
purposes. It would be better, however, to have q
spirit level attached to the instrument, especially
would it work better in windy weather.
..=4- HnLslDs bitches.
The Hillside bitches are first to be made. Their
object ID to receive and carry out of the field or to
some branch ravine, proper receptacle within the
field the water which may happen to break over the
beds, at the time of an extraordinary rain. Or to
carry off all the surplus water when the field is in
small grain and the beds have been broken down
and the ground leveled.
In constructing these bitches, the operator will
take his level, accompanied by boy and his hoe,
and proceed to the highest point of the field which
is to be broken up. and just where it is perceived
that the water begins to collect and wash is likely
to be made, he will locate ditch.
This is done by putting down your Level, and
moving the foot from you either up or down, as may
be required until the plumb line shall fall upon the
grade of two inches or such other grade you may
intend to give, and then you move the level for
ward putting the hinder foot exactly in the track of
the foremost foot and x the grade in the way,
and until the whole line for the ditch is marked
ont across the field. The boy with his hoe making
chop in the ground at the forward end of the level
every time it is taken up. Care must be taken not
TO diminish the grade in this line of the ditch, be-
cause If the grade is materially lessened the flow of
in thar itch ill ho o1oA NH
mulate, break over and do much damage.
A plonghman then follows, and runs a furrow
along the line of the ditch by the chops while they
are fresh and easy to be seen. 1859.
The operator then moves down the hill from 80
to 10 yards more or less according to the shape and
undulations of the land and marks out the line for
another ditch in the same manner, and so on until
al the bitches are located. The bitches are then
plowec out the desired breadth and depth, and the
dirt is drawn out with hoes the lower side so as
to form banks for the ditch.
The bitches being finished the next thing to be
done is to lay of the field in parallel beds for cult
walton.
And here again the operator proceeds with his
level boy and hoe, to the highest part of his field
and just above the spot where wash is likely to be.
gin, he commences on the side of his field other
convenient starting place and marks line before,
with the exception that now perfect level is to be
preserved, which is to be done by moving the for
ward end Of the instrument up or down. as the case
may reqare, until the plumb line strikes the level
marx, and IN proceeding be sure always to put the
hinder foot Of the level precisely in the track from
which the foremost foot was Just taken
This line when finished is also to be marked out
by plough, following as before. Then descend the
hin or slope from 20 to so yards, more or less, as
the nature Of the ground may require and form an
other furrow in the same way; and so on until the
held is laid Oft These burrows cross the hillside
bitches wherever they reach them.
These burrows are called guide turrosos, because
BY them the beds are to be formed.
The held is now ready to be ploughed into beds.
THESE beds are to be as wide apart the may
IKE ana IN making them, good turning pillow must
be used, which must run as deep as the soil will al.
ler, going down TO the clay. The work is best done
by commencing on the lower side Of one guide fur.
row and ploughing down half way to the guide fur.
row next below it And then by moving the pillow
down to that guide furrow, and ploughing upwards
RON until the ploughing in the other direction Is
reached. - - s
The object Of this is, to equaze the vari.ton from
perfect level which will exist in the space between
the grade burrows, in most fields, occasioned by the
rregularity Of the land And il vii! be found tina,
the burrows thus run on each side of the guide fur
rows ana starting parallel with them will somewhat
vary from perfect level, and actually meet at one
more points. leaving pieces of the land between
them not broken up.
These spaces are to be broken up BY short beds
which will commence on the side which seems mos
level. - =, = : =
The field y now ready for planting and cultivation
.,Eg5s& ~ GENERAL REMARKS.
!. In laying ont the Hillside bitches, it is impor
tant not 70 hsye them too long, but to empty then
@ soon as you conveniently can. And on that &C
count it 10 much better usually, not to run them en-
firsy aerosa the field but to begin about the middle
ofthe slope to be laid of and run them from that Al
centreline, up and down the field out to each side
And in doing that it ia best again to make the ditch
e lap at the starting places leaving space of twelve
win enable you to haul your manure into to field
and Your crops opt Of without crossing the bitches
- hsve always turned, in breaking up The land