Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1878-08-01
TuaALoo HOME, July 22d, 1878.
Aicssrs. Editors Keo,oee Courier:


TUaALoo HOME, July 22d, 1873.
Mcssrs. Editors Keo,oee Courier:
Mr.. T. B. Keese, who owns the old homo.
stead place Of Z. Keese, deceased, and
which has had two drain ditohss On the
place for the last half century, and although
tho place has changed hands several times,
with failure to dry the land by the different
owners, has succeeded in completely drying
both by canaling the creek from five to six
feet deep, without touching the bitches, and
now has the finest corn where it never grew
before, and it is a notable fact whore ever
the creek bed has been sunk the land shows
an improvement in the appearance Of the
corn. Tho fountain or source Of these
drain ditchos wore fifty yards from the
creek. l have travelled from the mountains
to tho scaboard and I notice the samo defect
in draining land is apparant everywhere; the
main courses of the streams arc too shallow
Much Of tho GROSS or "blind" drainage
might bo obviated by simply deepening the
main or ocntral ditohes and keep tho banks
as olcan as your farms. Allow no timber or
even weeds to grow on the banks of bitches
and the best results will bo attained nearest
the ditcLcs; whereas, formerly, under tho
erroneous idea of letting the banks grow up
to prevent tho overaowing and washing of
land, Ohc very thing to cause it,) but little
was realized. Tho great father of waters, the
Mississippi, is controlled by lovies, and yet
our spring branches are suffered to remain
SO near tho top of tho ground the land is
sourod, aud eyory hasty shower of rain
causes it to overflow and wash away tho
rich hooks Of land, and in this way much
Of our good bottom land makes its way to
the ocean, whore it is being dredged out
about tho docks where it interferes with
navigation and is used to enrich the vogo-
table gardens of our cities. By concert Of
action farmers might deepen and build
levies on our creeks aud branches 80 as to
prevent the overflow Of our bottom land.
Land should never be overaowed, and until
this is prevented We need not expect the full
capacity Of yield of our bottom land. 1t is
true there are millions of wealth flowing
down our streams, but it is suicidal in the
extrcge to employ the overAowing Of our
land with tie hope of benefit.
Tugaloo River>is drying up. During, a
few decades Of years Tugaioo- River hos
notably been growing email and beautifully
less until the eye Of CLOSE observer can
see the change; besides where twenty or
thirty years ago where the finny race had
free access is, now deep bed Of alluvial
soil, with our best corn growing on it. In
some instances ten or fifteen rows aud the
river is no deeper than formerly about the
shoals and the deep places are not deep
enough to swim horse where formerly it
was from ten to fifteen feet deep. This
change may be accounted for by drainage
and evaporation caused by outing down the
county aud exposing the swamp land, chat
originally fed the stream and the same
cause has something to do with che irregu-.
larity Of our seasons, suoh as dtoughts;
floods, &c., is not unreasonable. But
lavo written more at length than T OK
peoted to have done, but this drainage
business is IN important matter with the
farmer. If the counsel be good,
NO MATTER WHO, &C.