The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-10-21
SENSIBLE VIEWS ON PEEsER WING on
LANDS.
Letter From Major Griffin on the VAL
NC OF Terraces, and tho Evil of
hillside bitches.

Editor Press and Banner:
About thirty-five years ago the Idea OF hill.
side dltching was first INTRODUCED; the In:
inches fall In every IL feet, then TO lay OIL
the rows parallel with the bitches, claiming
that each row would carry oil Its own water,
and in case OF u heavy rain and q break across
the rows, the ditch would receive and carry
the water out; hut unfortunately the ditch
would become filled with loose soil and wa
ter and wash ont IL slnice 80 or more feet wide
down the entire extent Of the field. The next
idea was to give the bitches very little fall
and to lay Off rOws on n dead level between
the bitches. This might have proven sue
cessful II 1t had been strictly adhered to, but
TO carry a rnfter level day after day laying off
rows WINS n little too much work for tho av-
eragc South Carolina farmer, consequently
the level was abandoned II laying of the
rows by the eye adopted, and the result has
tributed so much to the destruction OF our
rolling lands as hillside dItchinS and so-called
horizontal rows, as evidenced by our SCARED
hillsidcs and quilted fields. .
If hillside bitches accomplished all that
was ever claimed for them. even tho entire
preservation Of our lands from washing, cv.
impossibility with the present. system Of la
Dor Of having them properly attended to.
Hillside bitches being Il failure, must We not
resort to some other method to prevent the
farmers Of our sister State Georgia. have
adopted and with great success the system OF
tcrracing their lands. Not fully understand
ing his terracing l confess / had. no faith In
1t. Last March while confined TO a sick bed
q gentleman came to my house offering q
patent level for sale; with some reluctance l
allowed him to terrace u pet field OF ten acres,
upon which had expended many hours o.
labor in dltching and grading. AS soon rs l
could walk I repaired to the field. and when
1 saw how accurately the work had been ac-
complished and In SO little time. and how
remote my rows were from n level, though
la{1 pff with Vrpof rnrp. / was led 10 eXElHltl,
For the preservation OF land. tcrracing Is GER
tainly the grandest conception OF the age!
l ut once ordered o level and had the remain
der (2j ncres) OF unprepnred land terrnccd.
During the cultivation and growth OF my
crop 1 was not blessed with the copions rains
or other sections. yet all the rain that fell
and the crops continued to grow and flour.
ish, During the heavy fall rains have luilPd
to lind a single terrace broken and only now
and then where water ran across the rows.
The water is absorbed by the land where II
falls and I am satisfied that Il good crop may
be raised with y or 30 per cent. less rain.
From my experience Iiwonld sum up Its ad-
vantages rs follows: LIST. Cost OF construc-
them up but little; 3rd, because of the alb.
sorption, In a great degree, Of the rain just
where 1t falls, a better crop can be Produced
either q wet or dry season; 4th, IN broadcnSt
Of field, passing right over terraces, renewing
them ut once by a turning pillow; 5tl. they
are not in the way of reaping or hauling oil
the crop as are dltches; 9Th, The land will be
improved by the fcrtilizing ingredients cen.
ta.ncd in the rain distributed and held In
every portion of the soll-in proof OF this, l
find In walking along n row several days nf'
ter a rain, that the dampness Is about the
same through its entire length; nth, When
mani or choppers work our lands a little
labor and attention on the part OF the pro-
mate destruction of his land; 9Th, In seeding
to small grain. II the land be plonghed with
the terraces. during long winter rains the
duclng too great growth and oftentimcs In
ducing rust. The great facility with which
land may be terraced and rows laid off Ger.
O few to days this work. Then let US 90 to
work and preserve from destruction by wash.
ing rains our lands, the only heritage we
have to beQueath to those who come after us.
r.. A. GRIFFIN.