The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1885-12-17
asritultural.
IMPROVING LANDS.


and heavy manurlng, but what avail
eth these if land is rolling, and the
soil is washed away as fast as it is
deepened or enriched. In all efforts
to improve the soil, the first step
must be to hold attention. study.
ingenuity, must all be directed to one
point. Since terracing has acquired
notoriety, hillside ditching has been
almost entirely discarded. This may
be well after terraces have become
firmly established, but anterior to
this, whilst the terraces are being
made, and the loose earth thrown up
by the pillow is easily washed away,
bitches will be decidedly advantage
Gus, especially washes have already
begun. In heavy rains, water ac-
quires a terrible momentum down
slopes that are long and steep, if al
lowed to traverse the whole distance ::
catch it in a ditch before it has had
time to acquire volume and velocity.
Make the ditch large, and deep enough
to hold the water in the heaviest
rains don't be timid about this, fear
ing your ditch will become a gulley.
With the greatest fall given hillside
bitches, it is an easy matter to get
them filled up after they have served
their purpose. Every one who has
had much experience with hillside
bitches know that the trouble is to
keep them open. Brars, weeds, etc.
falling into them are constantly catch
ing earth, and makinga soil in their
bottom, upon which spring up grass
es and weeds, these catch more soil
and soon the ditch breaks over. un-
less often cleaned out. In crossing
them with the plow dirt and trash
fall in to such a degree that it is next
TO impossible to keep them open when
the plowman does not turn at the
ditch. Where rows are run on lev
ell, one years breaking and cultivation
of the land will completely obliterate
ditch that is crossed.
4 poorly made, inadequate ditch is
worse than no ditch, but properly
made large ditch has one decided
drawback especially on steep slopes
the water falling into it from above
tends to start title gullies on the up
per edge Of the ditch and these if not
checked tends is elongate up the hill
in other words bitches tend to gen
crate gullies Fortunately this can
be obyiated be leaving an unplowed
strip along the upper edge ct the
ditch. Weeds and grass growing up
on this strip binds its soil so that wa
ter will not cut through it, but check
ed in its flow, deposits its burdens of
soil on said strip and quietly perco-
lates through. This strip should be
not less than ; feet in width. Where
this precaution has not been taken.
and gulles have started along the
upper edge of bitches, it would be
well to put trash fsome kind in every
one of these weighing it down with
rocks. A perfect edge of the ditch
can thus soon be established, and the
unplowed strip Of land will take care
eff afterwards. Don't defer looking
after these apparently little things a
stitch in time will save more than nine
afterwards.
Where moderate gullies have already
formed haul leaves, straw or trash of
any kind and put it in them little
brush at intervals. or a row of stobs
placed across them will serve to keep
the leaves from being washed out Of
them. If this is done and plowmen
made to lift their plows over in cross
ing these washes, they will very soon
fill up. More or less dirt and trash
will drop into them from the plows
as they are lifted over, and this will
help to fill them. If washes are plow-
ed across without lifting pillow. the
loose dirt in the wash Is carried off
by the first rain, and thus every plow-
ing serves to deepen the wash. Make
it an inyiolablc rule to have the pillow
lifted over every wash that can be
crossed. At this season Of the year
1t is well to SOW a little rye, wheat
or other grain along these washes
that are filled with leaves: it will
help materially to catch and hold the
dirt which is carried into them by
the rains: when this is done in the
spring, spontaneous growth of grass
and weeds will do the same thing.
1t is all important however. in every
case to fix carefully the lower end of
the wash or gully, so as to check the
action Of the water there the filling
up will begin there and gradually
work up the HILL We have repeat
eddy changed tn whole face of the
field by such simple devices as we
have described, and with very little
labor.
Let the South have generous.
helping hand from the whole nation
IA tba innrovn,nan+ or Lo,. ,,.,,.