The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1858-08-11
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From the n. c. Planter.
LETTERS ON HORIZONTAL PLOUGHING
AND HILLSIDE DIrCHING.

LETTERS ON HORIZONTAL PLOUGHING
AND HILLSIDE DlrCHING.
To the Hon. Taomrs Rt6fa. President of The North
caOia Agricultural Soaieiy.
Hulshprough. O,t. 20, 1857.
DEAR SiR:--Obsrr,Ing tha, ihr Executive
GanmIlier, IN presenting subject, for agri
caltnral ESSAYS at the approaching annual
FAR, have given especial prominence 4.
!. il"rz z.nial pIoughing and Hillside bitch.
ins,' prep ~ IN two fmihar letter. AL
dressed 10 ynu, to be laid before The aparo-
pirate comm tlee. 10 give y,u my views on
that subject. And tnink | NAV be excused
fur 50 doing. mt on;y because Of tn ,npnr-
iance 81 tie subject to the agricultural inier-
e.ls Of the S'atc, but more particularly be-
c,us. inr many years lla,e ~, sell practicrd
this nude Of 'ulli,aiioB. with perfect sue.
cess. am writing. therefore. what know,
and am nn .ffrring specula,lnns merely.
The rsil to be remrlir,i, waste Of snil ifom
washing raln,. IN NV view cannnt easily be
exaggerated. Considering the q ,aniity oi
lmprmrd lands wItiiin the bann,s of Nnrth
Carolina. WE M, suppose a, the lowesi r>Ii-
mate. that two ~ llion, Of acre, OF rolling
lands have been cuIts 4ted the present year.
eUfry acre Of which was subject to wash,
lrnm heavy rams; because the rams tel
faster than the gr0umi could absorb them.
aud the surplus saier ~ running oft, carried
q pu,tiun Of tnr soil with il. Aud a hill tins
quantity oi land his been cultivated 10 cnrn.
coituI aud io1acco, aud tir other hall 10
small grain. We will probably be below Inc
mark. ~ putting down the lnss lrmn ihl,
cause 10 the land owners 81 mr State. tHr
tins me year. al an average 0i iillI cents per
acre. or one million ol dollars Tor the whule.
Ak each land owner, Huw much h,vr
sour lands been damaged tlI,s year by wash
ing raIns? aud believe me. sir. the auaer IN
the mighty aggregate would make learlul
de, elopmrnt
Cast your eye nyer the State ut North Car.
olina. and say how much the State bis al
ready lost, ~ millions oi acres ni once fertile
land. now sterile aud drsulate irOm thls Cause.
Make up tl,r mournlul estimate Of the 9th.
er thousands oi acres winch are being an.
nually added 10 this ,l,eary waste. aud tnen
tell me il that system can well be over
valued, which will stay this mighty desauc.
tI0n
hut can any art IN plnushing effect this
grand objpcii Can land be 10 cniiiSatel. a
not TO sa.i,s To question that fact. would
be to stultll, man. and Impusn the wisdom
ol tod.
Thl. earth has been provided Tor the abole
and sustenancc II maa, through all his gene
lraiinns, and 10 all time 10 come. hut IL car
ry out thi, design ol Providence. the fertility
0f the soil must be preserved aud increased.
Aud ii thnse whu sucrerd u are to 20 on
destroying the suil by their made of culiiya.
tiun, ia thr same RAIN a. the present and the
past generations have dane, huw are oar
! lands 10 supper, the leaning millions of pop.
uatIon which are destined here liter to pos.
srss them,
Land caa be 90 cultivated as to prevent
washing, b, two mndrs:
fir.i, b, deep pi"ughiag. Let the land be
: ploughed. say eIght inches or mure. with a
suitable plough; | neau onr which will turn
the Iurrew nni boitnm upwards. but onls par.
tall, over, md tlIen leave The snil on the top
aud the CLAY still az the bottom ; AID let thu.
plough be followed ~ the samp lurr,,w by a
sub.ul plungl. luusrning the land ten Or more
inches deep. Mlihunt turning up thr clay al
all. aud tuu " u have taur land broker
righirrn inches deep aud land. t,us prrpar
I'd will sb.nrb tue hra,iesI ram. ~ they TIL
AMI there vii b. nn wash, because there will
be ~ surplus water To- iun of.
liui TIN. p an. Il must be admitted. Is SUIT.
!. Ell rather to largr than 10 mall cultl.atnrs
lni r,ch u these pluughs must BE- drawn b,
a, least thrcc horses That y to sat. .acl
\ Iurruw costs The labor ~ two IN, n aud -,
: hnrsrs Aud the large nIss ~ our r,n
ers have nut this lurce al their Command.
n Again. npun much " oar land this plan i
: Iimpiariteabie, because the subsoil is Toll -
stones. Aud npun the ~l',le, "ur system =
agriculture = not perhaps suIlicirntls al
,anerd t. warrant the expectation that thI
system ni cultivation will be generall.
adopted.
Secondly. the samr object may Ne arcie
= = b, hur'zontal pluuslIhg. assisted BY hilsId
4, ditehng.
Il i. the am of this system to leave III
land broken up 10 beds parallel 10 each 9th
: rr. snd upnn : perfect level. with deep was
: Iurraws between tlirn,. and that this state ,
things hall be preserved throughout the cuI
tnaiiun ~ the rrop.
Ttss,slrm pr"m.rs tie following amor
y. =. other advantages:
- - I. firsi, and greatest VI all. lamb thus pr,
Y pared an,l rnltisaird aill n.t wash, bccau.
II. e,eiy iwu beds with the water iurrnw h'
IL. taern ttrm form grsai trough upon dea
level sufficient 10 h,l,I all tlir rams orlinar
- = III as they falI. There is, thrrefd,e, no ~asl
~ when the water falls there il remains aud
drunk in bv the ratih Rut II ihs heds sts