The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1871-04-07
HOW TO RECOVER AND TO PRE-
SERVE HILL LANDS.

Substitute for hill side dltches
rows of logs or of brush on the same
level that cotton rows should be run,
at proper distances, according to the
decIivity of the hill, neUer to be moe
ed ; and when the logs or brush rot
down, supply logs or brush, or en-
courage the growth of a permanent
hedge-row of shrubbery.
If there is ditch at all, let it be
on the l0,Ocr side of the brush-row,
to carry off the water after it has
filtered through and left your sell,
where it ought to be. on the upper
side of the brush-row.
Any person of common observa-
ton, can see that the sloyenly sys-
tenn of hillside ditching and plough
ing practiced for the last forty years
has ruined this middle country. In
stead of protecting his land against
washing rains the planter has devils
ed, and practiced most persistently,
the most summary way of running
the best of his estate clean off, out Of
the reach of himself, his heirs and
assigns, forever.
Unless the farmer adopts some
more efficient way to keep his soil in
its place, what is the use of his fine
spun theories of subsoiling and re-
cuperation, with Liebig and Vile at
his fingers end, and his Peruvian,
and Etiwan, and Wanda, and Stono,
etc, etc, out of pocket?
He puts bis best land, (the red
hills are the mos fertile lands in
this State in beautiful condition to
run away from him down the hill in
to his newly scrapcd bitches, down
to the gullies and branches, with the
first heavy rain, loaded with sixty
five dollars per ton of manipulated
fertilizers, to breed noxious weeds
in the bitches of his bottom lands,
and all for aoant Of q teao pine-tops
jadjcjous7y PLACED on his hiH-sides.
A walk through my billy planta
ton ditched with great care man.
years ago will satisfy an observer
that the bitches have contributed yer,
much to the ruin of the property, ant
the consequent bankruptcy of thu
owner. Much better it would hay,
been every spring, while the lanC
was being prepared for planting, t.
have put few brush in the washes
to hold the soil, instead of opening {
nice way for it to run off. Better still,
in the beginning, to have establish
ed regular and permanent system
of hillside brakes or brush-rows,
running nearly level, from which a
hedge of native shrubbery would
have sprung, which could be further
improved by sticking down cuttings
Of shrubs of quick and easy growth,
along the upper side, and the OLD
plantation would be a fortune now,
if the land was good. But what is
the fact ? On the upper side Of
every old ditch, is red streak, five
to twenty feet wide, of short gullies
running down into the old ditch; or
else the old ditch is filled up with
the very best soil of the hill, and
has made just such breastwork as
might have been made thirty years
ago, with few brush, and saved thC
land
When we learn to keep our lands
from washing away, then can we at
ford to buy fertilizers at presen
prices.
Another advantage of these brusl
fences. They not only hold the sol
and keep the bitches below clean
but they hold the moisture in thu
land above for days after summe
shower, and no damage is done be-
low, by the sudden rush at once o
! all the water that falls Withou
,, this protection, hillside, ploughe'
! shallow, is as dry two hours after
! shower if the sun shines, as it wa
before, ana the crop receives n
benefit.
The next best way of preservin
the hill lands is, whenever ditch
made or cleaned out, to draw an
bank the dirt on the.apper side bu
that involves constant attention t
the bitches.
The brush-row above the ditch is tn
safer, and the better system. 1t l.
a permanent improvement in money
value of the plantation at small cost
-RaraI CaroljDian.