The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-09
Tcrracing Lands.

We are very glad to see the farmers becorl-
ing interested in improving their lands. OF
late attention has been directed TO the matter
OF terracing. The Abbeville farmers have be-
come thoroughly aroused, through the publi-
cations of the Press and Banner. We feel
sure that wherever the matter ~ brought pro-
pcrly before the farmers they will take hold 1t
ut once. We have studied the question for
some time past, and believe that 1t opens up a
very encouraging prospect for the farmer.
Anything that VIII enable him TO improve
ing to him and terracing Will do both. 1t
Will enable him to enrich his lands great
deal faster, because If they be properly terrac-
ell whatever fertilizers are put on the lands
and will not be washed away. 1t will enable
Eira to raise q crop with much less rain, for
whatever water iaIls on the field will stay
there and be taken up by the soil, instead OF
being drained Oft by bitches.
Now, one who has givon this matter no at
tcntion probably thinks terracng is scienti-
fic. complicated process recurring great eX'
pensc and trouble Not so; on the contrary.
the proper instrument, which costs only Il
few dollars, anybody of ordinary sense can
terrace lands. The proper instrument. or The
best, is The McCurry patent. costing 81 90. This
and having spirit level Oh two adjacent
sides. This rests horizontally on Jacobs
Stair of the proper height. The square iron
frame is quickly levcled hy means Of set
a pole. with feet measured Oft ON It, Now you
are ready. Measure by the pole the height Of
the iron level from the gruund-SuppOSc feet
then put the 'bull's eye" at 8 feet ON the pole
and give it to your assistant, who carries 1T
while you "sight' at 1t. Wherever the level
and the bul,'s eye nrc on level, the essis-
tant makes mark on the ground, and goes u
few feet farther and gets the bulls eye right
again, moving back wards or forwards in ac.
cordance with signals from the man at the
level, and marking mark wherever the lev
ell is found. Then pl0W is taken and deep
furrow is run along the course marked out !;
two more furrowS are throwr to this, and you
have q terrace. y whole field can be lerraccL
In u little while When the terraces arc
made, the rows must all run parallel with It.
Then each row will hold its own water, being
on tie same level from end to end. There
will be no washing and brenking over, as In
hillside dtching, and the water, unless II Is a
On the fourth page of this paper IS al arti'
Gle from the Press and Banncr on the subject
of terracing, written by Maj. Il. y. Griffin, of
Mincty.SX, one Of the best farmers Of -Abbe-
vile County.
The Obserrer called on Mr.. Henry S. Boozcr,
ut Prosperity, Saturday and had q long talk
with him on the subject of terraclns. Mr..
BOOZcr has tried tcrracing and says its benc-
tits have not been exaggerated. lie thinks II
is the very thing to save and improve the
land. He says no one should be deferred by
any imaginary trouble in terracing; it IS very
simple and is easy and pleasant work.
This article is not written to boom any
body's "leveler," bnt because we want to call
the attention OF the farmers to the bencf1s or
tcrraciug on their own account. If they VIII
investigate the matter we feel sure the last
one of them will abandon hillside bitches
and 60 to terracing, and that they Will End IL
n great Improvement.