The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-09-23
OUR FIELDS.
TO PRESERVE LAND AND BENEFIT AGRI-
CULTURE.
An Address Delivered Before the
Georgia state Agricultural Socie.
~. by III. IL, Cary, OF LaGrRnEc.

Georgia state Agricultural Socie.
ty, by III. IL. Cary, OF LaGranEc.
The duty has been assigned me to open the discus
aim on "TrrrncIng us MI efficient means of preserving
land, and It's benefits to Agriculture
The subject may very naturally be considered nn-
der two heads. ,
Steamboats, benefits tn Agriculture"
We viii then discuss the subject In the orher indi.
Gated. 1t may le promised ,hut the agricultural 10
the cotton belt laburs uldrr peculiar disadvantage,
from IN. fact that on The land on which orr great sta>
pl.-cuttun. lie produced under Glenn culture, Is subject
10 wash twelve months In the year. The cotton crop
heinz Lid by clean, the land on which 1t Is grown
when unprotected washes worse IN the "ihIer 'h"h
In the summer. r,.
The light fire., zrs incident to oMr latitude, disintc-
crate tho surface sol, rendering 1t perfectly Ir'dtae.
and I'm n ~coilitI"E to be Carried away by the next rain.
This is n condition uf things which our n%rishbors or a
higher latitude do not have to contend against, where
lands are frozen the entire winter, and IN auuit'oh III
that are often covered with q protection vi snow.
The fact that our srils year BY year hnye been grntu-
u'ly but surely passing nway t tie ocean with surface
watrr, Is o snuicr 0f great s"llc'tudc I" our iarmrra;
hence " It'll Is view t. cUunternct this greet evil many
MINIS have been rrsOrtcd to-. As II Is no part 81 my
lurIusc to discuss these various devices, | shall sim.
nv nllude TO one, which seems to have quite q close
connection with this %suljrcf.
sumo one, who or when | do not know, devised the
plan uf hillside di.ciics-a plan which IN Its effect Is
bringing TO the aid or nature a little science tn assist
In c%nnveyir g the soil "f the hilIsidrs t. the bnttntns
IN the most expeditions manner; my It docs not sni!
there. Over the soil thus deposited, the clay and sand
is ultimately brnugh. down and deposited Il, a worth.
less stratum, thus destroying both hillside and bottom.
Every careful observer has not failed to rec that
lands cnv,rrd by hill side bitches are doomed TO
early anil sure drstruction. But II wnu'i mt ~ pro.
spcakiny Of n subject which intelligent agriculture Is
fast ignoring. l have spoken Of hillside ditcllln: from
the fact that out or this grave mistake one III The
greatest blessings tn the ElrIner uf the last hnlf ccntn.
~ has resulted. 1t Is u well known fhcs that many m
The great, At discoveries Of the nge have bern the rr'
suit Of notwithstanding which may be mentioned the
application OF steam to motive power, rs well rs tie
! discovery Of the great law OF crawl ati"n. In th'
| Northern part Of Chambers cnunty, Alabama, not h'
from the line Of Georgia. IL quite n large plantation
known rs the Chisholm place, now the property OF W
r. Orme. ESQ. Secretary and Treasurer OF INC At,an'
ia i West Point l.nilrond. Many years ago this plan
tnlinn had It's hill side bitches. for this hind 10 rolling
like mos, Of the lands Of the middle belt Of Georgia
These bitches were In use, and q field, Quite, n large
ono, was cultivated anti WON out ana abandoned, o.
Is usually the case. The water had broken over The
bitches In many places, and uasightly gnli!es were cX'
tended from the summit to the base. While Till
field was lying out, at one point n rt,ilarSahie thini
took place; the old ditch had become hiied up az tnl'
place and rrtss nnd weeds had grown up luxurtai.tly
catching and retaining the earth that fur o culislirra
bic time Ind been brought down by The rains, In lac
had formed q complete terrace. Mr.. Chisholm rrndi
y took tho hint, reasoning very naturally mat s wnn
on q large scalo, to protect the land from washing.
He at once formed his plan. Going 10 a neigbbor
ing field he formed o iidrc across the field on II dea'
level. and his plan wns also to have every fnrrow rlI
on a co,npletr level. The question then arose h'w tn
these ridrcs should he apart. drawing q bow At
venture he decided to have three feet fall between ~,
ridges. Subsequent tests have proven that thls III
WINS about CORR 1t. lie went on and prepared tue en-
tire field In this wav. This was done thirteen year
aco, This was, doubtless, the first field that was eve
terraccd In this !art OF the county. IL mas $1,000 al
The rain for thirteen years with c"mpltt t. success. an'
though It / rs been often planted IN cotton, therr Is ~
n scar nor break In the field.
Some yeas after this was done MIR. Orne 6rcain
the owner Of the place, whose practical eye soon s'
the rreat utility Of what lintl been d"ne. AMI rs ias
M p,ssiblc tertacch all the land he Intended Fur cult
yation, | snv tr,n,crd. I Use the term Us others us
II, 1t Is len ~ ut first q misnnn,r, though alter
series Of years cnch ridge brcolnts q tue terrace
Now let Ms return for n short. time To tho ola hrl
where the discovery WAS made. This also alter a te'
years underwent the tcrracing Prnctss. 1t has Gerl
mentioned that 1t WAS sadly d~isfsnrcd hy guile!
Many of the gul'ics were deep enough to bury = nle,i
un sized horse s~tanlirg erect upon his ftt The oil
bitches were plnwed up aud the terraces properly con
sttuc,ed. During last month I visited this plantation
and particularly this old field, In cotnInny with som
gentlemen who nrc now nne'nbrrs of this Convention
who silt bear the out when | say there WIS no cyl
Jrr(cp apparcntly that It had ever contained. q gully
have sTr ken more particularly Of this field becans
1t serv, s M II type Of ahnt has been done In other c1sc'
Amer this brief history, the desire Is very natural !
know how the thing Is to br ."nr-inahy, II" done
feeling appalled, ct the probable lne"r and cost oI I'M
nrucrss, assert most positively, that tue labor Of ter
iociur n piece Of ground does not exceed hull that Z
hillside ditching. 1t Is within the rench OF the fHrtlie
who cultivate, s one acre Or b%nhdredS. iwiIl now CIV
us brt, ny rs may tie. the plan Of doing THIS work.
Begin at the Highest point In the field and nscertHl
n poInt giving three feet fall. Then construct you
Hrst trrracr, so continue until the field Is complete
always giving three feet fall between each terrace
Nav. bow to construct the rirnccs. l wish to en-
nhnsize the TACT that these terraces must constructr
ON q pcrfrct level. We must never iely upon Tue cy
alone. But two impl, mghts are necessary To lay o
The ,erracrs-a good thcOiolite and n graduated OIL
and were ! speaking to eng necrs Instead 81 a c"hVct
tion OF farmers, certainly no reconstruction would b
needed: but 1t Is presumed that such Instruction
NAV not BE- am!ss on this occasion: The graduate
rod ary farmer can make. II should tc fltern Tee
lung, marked off In inches and feet the ,nchts inhica'
ed by colorrd marks md the feet by col"rcd figures
that the marks and liguies may LIE reid ut u col.sldet'
Trim up the ,heololite Mt a point where your "bse'
v,t;ons may eNtrId Qnitc acrUss The field. Have n
assistant h"ld tho rod at the surfing point. md ind
cate the figure that that sight of the theodoiIte sriHe
on. Then have your assistant move up us ne"r on
level us he cali, O distance Of nhnut twelve feet (rst
mating this.) Then direct your assistant to move I'll
rud NJ, or down The grade, us the case may h., INT
YOUR thcodulitc sights the figure indicated ut the star
ing puint. You thus have started on o nrfrct lcVr
So continue until you have crnssrtl The held. L" g
the three feet fall between the terraces, count thrt
feet additional on the rod every time.
To mark off the liner, lei n small SCOOTER piow 10
Low the rn: man. The animal will very quickly lear
IN follow, giving very little trouble. When The line
mr.. co,np,et, the trrruccs, or ridges, are nude With
large lwo.horse pillow; two iurrows Will complete til
lob: one turned up the hill, the other down, lnppin
tLc first with the last fprrow, thus completing N
WORK. This will make quite a high ridge, being I'll
.,nrti, q ,n!nt Of the 'nirac,s; always doing the abov
work. If possible, before the ground ID broken, as theI
should he no burrows run tn improperly direct the wa
ter to the low places. This Is very Important. Hn'
ing proceclrd thus fnr, y0n ne ready to break tn
land and do Il thus: Bun yUur burrows With the tc1
ruces: II you 60 around . land let the land contni
tho space bctwe, n two terrnces. Your lower furrn'
| will be above the terrace, and Jour upper iurrow WI
he below your upper terrace. SO continue until IN
land is finished, completing In The middle OF two tel
rur.s AZ that every mirow will be run on q level.
will nav be Seen that the guides for blowing, and ID,
In, III row 8. are established for all time. Any pcrsn
with ulrmrn enough to lay off a row, cannot innk
n mistake, To lay off rows, half should be laid q
above IN, lowrr terrace, and bali below the nppcr III
ruce-throwing any short rnws In the middle.
II In making your terraces, you cross gnl!rya, Inc
must be- stopped. Nothing Is more suitable for Til
nnr,use than time brush, and fortunately, usually cor
ryrni,nt. and rs all the ruws nre on o level, so That n
water can pass through them, these Gullics are 200
GlIed, and every time yon pillow you increase tho siz
Of yuur terraces, rnd their power to resist the wa.c
But II is asked: VIII this plan preserve land? WI
IL keep Il from washing: ! answer, emphntically, yc
beg leave, onre more, to refer to the Orrne p'nc
and state some facts which my recent visit revealed
-, .o In ttttpnttn tnNlnhtnn NnffnI