The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-11-04
SAVE THE BEST OF OUR SOIL.
THE WAsHIEa RAINS TAKE FROM OUR
uNTERRACED LANDS MORE OF THEIR
FERTILITY THAN ANY OTHER
AGENCY.
An Essay Read at Paris Ford by J.
w. WOffOrd.
SDdrtd1,b,lrg Herald.
1st Let rs first consider what terrace is.
end. The benefits to be derived from terracing.

w. WoffOrd.
Spartanburg Herald.
lat Let us first consider what terrace is.
end, The benefits to be derived from terractng.
3rl, Objections to tcrraces-answered.
4th. A terrace is an an embankment OF logs earth
or rocks on soping lands to impede hold or check the
min that falls thereon made perfect level. Rocks
are preferable f abundant In the aed where You
nose tn terrace for two reasons; they are fully as
strong and then you can get rid Of t6em but where
rocks not abundant use the eartn ny plownS out
% II for ditch, and shoveing the dirt on the upper
side, thereby making On embankment. Said blowing
to be done on perfect level. Some very good ter.
races are made by using simply good turning pow,
by running two furrows throwing the dirt same way
no the hill and then with furrow above throwing
dirt down hill. These can be made fast and changed
every year desirable to do So All lands that are
not level and where water runs should be terraced.
Construct fence across any OF your fields that have
but little so7s. And In o few years the dn renee
be seen. Whyisit3 Your fence has acted as ter
race. All the vegetable matter dccaying above the
fence has been held there finding lodgment against
It. And without that obstruction mnc1 OF the sou
would mass away into some neighbortng stream.
When termed there s no loss by teaching and wash
ine. Ali the elements of fertility that are or that can
be- made soluble by water, ore retained Uecayed
stalks leaves, litter OF every kind that IS grown
And the result will be- II judicousy rotated, in few
years there would be our hill sides Quantity OF
second bottom and oil Of you know how desirable
these spots are on every farm. The sell just above
we'll established terrace will constantly increase
in depth, while At Immediately below will slightly de.
crease hence at that part would suggest deep pow,
inc and little more lberallty with the manurcs, and
ali will be kept about even. Well arranged terraces
ore guide for the most ignorant darkey you con hire
to lay ofrows And contend that that alone IS com
pensaton enough for terracng, laying aside the many
other advantages. Every farmer who hears me to-
day knows how 1t Is to have the rows laid off right on
hillside and oft-tmes he hiss failed when be tried 1t
himself; oft.tmes he has found that the water ran
near by already filled to oyerfuwing into the next
and 40 on until soon perfect stream or unslghtly
gully Is formed down, down the bill 1t rushes on,
SPREADING and gathering speed as It goes, sweeping
soil and plants away with It. When the terrace
breaks over f 1t ever does) 1t at once encounters
rows on o level and each one must be filed up long
before 1t empties into its neghborthe pressure BE-
Ing equal, as much ut one point as another.
Of more water than fills on its own Surface II there
ure unterrnced lands above the water from these lands
should be conveyed of by good ditch. :,
terrace is less Liable to break over than our badly
is the generally established rule and when made the
height there is scarcely any rain that We even
have that will l all the furrows and then break away
the terrace. One other objection, urged with some
show Of reason, Is that on our gray lands the wafer
l,nger above the tvrraces frm our heavy
spring rains would have the tendency to kill Or drown
ont Young cutton Such is the case tn some extent.
hut generally there Is enrugh Left and the retention
Of moisture above terraces from our summer showers
cnuntcrbaances all these objections Tho best spots
Of cotton the present yearon MY entire farm is just
above some terraces that made In the spring, which
not only holds the water that falls on the field. but
all which falls In MY yard, horse and cow lot. They
were made strong. -: 49,. 49,
Others say that thero is too much loss Of land by
terracing; by close observation You Will not dis.
cover much more loss than by ditch. And the In
tel yening space between the row ab've and the
ono below tends largely towards making both
rows so nnch better that the uss IL very light Cot
ton and corn like some men, In order to swell the
branch largely must have space Space Ia as essen
tial in the making Of good crop as anything else.
Now in order to lay off terraces properly, It ia es-
wooden compass frequently used is unreliable and
fails to give satisfaction. using an instrument
made ny the BostrOm Automatic Level Co, Tenn.
also have one sold by Cannon d De-Shteds, Greers.
accuracy, they good practieal Instruments both
can DO used for ditchng, giving the necessary foil per
foot or rod as required.
Believing as do, that the loss to the soil Of the
our unprotected rolling lands is greater than the
amount taken therefron by all other agencies com
mend this subject for your earnest consideration.
The wealth Of most II not all the farmers is vested In
real estatp hence It behooves us to take care Of it. 1t
s certainly suicidal policy to annually fertlize our
rolling lands as most do with the various high priced
cnanos and not protect them. Those lands are our
homes we expect to stay here. No inducements held
out by the great west get our consent to pull up
stakes With what have Of that great coun try,
its products resources manufactures &c leads me to
this emphatic honest conclusion (akng into consid
Grafton all things necessary for our welfare and
happiness,) "we've got 'em," painted circulars,
land agents lingo, to the contrary notwithstand-
ing. Every time that ] have seen It and been
among them and returned, my contentment has been
augmented, contented with my own country and
the land of my nativity, And am not alone, am
proud to soy, In these convictions Then 1t behooves
s to take care Of our land not only for ourselves but
for those who come after us. we'll terraced farm,
In my judgement, is good heritage. What fortune
would there be now to those who own rolling lands,
(most notably along the Enorce and Tyger) II the
system Of terracing had been judiclously executed
long years ago.