The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1858-09-08

forward end Of the instrument up or down,
as the case may require, until the plumb line
strikes the level mark. 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 mark
ed out by plough, following as before. Then
descend the hill or slope from 30 to SO yards,
more or less, as the nature Of the ground
may require. and form another furr0w in the
same way. And so on until the field is laid
iii. These inrrows cross the hillside bitches
wherever they reach them.
These furrows are called guide .f,trrors,
because by them the beds are TO be formed.
The field is now ready to be ploughed into
beds. These beds are 10 be as wide apart as
the owner may like. and in making them,
good turning plough must be used, which
must run as deep as the soil will allow, going
down to the clay. The work is best done by
commencing Oh the lower side Of one guide
iurrow and ploughing down half way to the
guide furrow next below it. And then by
moving the plough down to that guide tur.
row. and pluughlng upwards from i until the
ploughing in the other direction is reached.
The object ot this is, to equalle the sari.
alton from 4 perfect level, which will exist IN
The space between the guide burrows, in most
fields, orcasinned BY the ilregularity Of the
land, or the unequal undulations Of the land.
And il will be tound that the tnrrnws thus
run on each side Of the guide furrovs and
starting parallel with them. will somewhat
vary from perfect level, and actually meet
at one or more prints, leaving pieces of the
land between them not broken up.
These spaces are 10 be broken up by short
beds, which will commence on the side which
seems most level
The field is now ready Tor planting and
cultivation.
GENERAL REMARKS.
l. IL LAYING ont The Hillside bitches, il is
important not to have them too long. but to
empty them as snnn as yon conveniently can.
And On that account il u much better usu-
ally. not q run them entirely across The field,
but 10 begin about tie middle of the slope TO
be laid Of, and run them from that AZ cen.
trcIine, up and down The field out 10 each
side. AMI in doing tha,. il is best again 10
make the bitches lap al the starting place.
leaving space Of twelve feet or more be.
tween their beginning points, which will en-
able you 10 hlul snnr manure into the field,
and your crnps out Uf IL without crossing the
drtthrs.
2. have always turned, IN breaking up
the land. al the diehes. A man who attends
10 his own business and has i dome right may
pass oter most nf them. And 10 bedding up
Tie hrld turn row. must Be hret AZ such
HAN
lfaliri by the nature u the ground.
). No inyariabie rule can be gwen Tor the
grade 1T ihr bitches. nr their width Or depth
The gond sense. Judgment and experience Of
the farmer must determine these points.
They must be large enough and have descent
enough ii receive anil carry oH all the water
which will How into ltrm in case ui The beds
abuSe them breaking On nv land, Mhieh
Is rel clay sol. free from sand, and there.
lore porous and absorbent, grade 81 two
inches 60 the IL feet. and from 10 q II
inches deep, and from 20 70 30 inches wide,
answers the purpose for the bitches. The
hank On the lower siie uf the ditch being
carefully preserved unbrokcn.
III The bitches have ton much descent, the
danger i that they will wash into gullies ;
il too little, The wafer may accumulate 10
them aud break nyer. These are the ex.
tremes % be avoided.
4. According 10 my experience, tile time
of greatest danger To your field IN this mode
uf cultivation, i al lie first working II the
crop, Tor then lhc beds are necessarily brnkcn
dpMn in 4 great measure. Ii Just at thi. pc.
ROD very great rain shall faIl, Won will pro.
b,bly DC injured some. But even then. not
80 much as il snur field was ploughei Up
aud down hill, hrcanse ali tile fuunws are
si4Il upon level, aud the water does not &c .
cumulate to ruinnus rxienta any one point.
And tie damage will be usually avoided en-
iilrly, BY carefully cleaning out the wafer
lurrDMs at this working. And tile period !.
oi short duration. for az The NEXT working Tie
dirt |. thrown back again aud the bells re.
stUfeL.
s. Now, Sir. | am aware lfst many per.
sons object 10 this system uf cultivation, uui
aud out |: aud say ii round terms that II will
not answer. Ofsueh persuns, am inclined
\ 10 think that lew have ever really given il 4
| fair trial. They lla,e not practiced The mode
here iaiI dorm. They have used an imper.
feet instrument in lesrllng their land. o. have
I tried IL 10 II BY The eye without level Al
all; Or they have endeayored 10 make cacI
water Iurrpw carry uf' its own surplus water
Or empty i into The bitches. BY giving Ii.
beds. water burrows and bitches, all the sam,
uniform descending grade.
II All these cIpedents have failed, because
in ninety nine cases out d one hundred il
field oi any extent. the surface d The groun,
Is too unequal 70 allow any of these modes
especially tile last. 70 be performed will, &C
euraey and perfection. Let all such object
ors fret ny Horizontal Ploughing and Hill
side DitChlng as here described, and after
wards giving their judgment upon i.
II cONeLusiON.
No single year can perhaps be remcmbere
when Land 10 North Carolina has suilere
from washing rains, more generally or i'm
r mensely, than during the present year. Th