The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-11-18
TIE FARM And THE FIELD
WE MAY MAKE OUR WINTER MONTHS
PROFITABLE.

=
! lows Across Your Bottoms and
Save the Sediment from OverGows
1t is hardly necessary to urge the prompt
tgathering and housing of all matured crops
still remaining in the field. The days vii
+ get shorter and shorter; and the weather IN
crcasingIy cold and unpleasant; corn will
waste, and cotton will drop on the ground
and become stained and trashy. Every con
sdcratiOn promptsto TO energy and diligence
shorter, and one-tenth less work can be got
/ ten out of Il labOrcr than at present. Indeed
with our present labor, 1t Is becoming unpro
titable to employ any more of 1t than one can
so ;tverse to wet and cold during that period
1t is hard to get work out OF him; But tni
this, there is much about farm which could
be done, and most conveniently too durlns
the winter. Almost every thing In the way
of beltrrmcntS can be attended to with more
advantage then than during the busy crop
season. Ditching.- removing stulnps anu
stones, clearing ana cleaning up. terratcims Stt,s
making farm roads, hauling leaves for litter
making composts, and other like things, can
receive attention without detrimentt to grow.
ing crops. Such matters arc generally put OH
until spring, and then there IS ~ hurrying
ahd rushing, and haIfdoing, to get them done
and out Of the way. that preparations may DC
Kind kid of work may be advantaseously done in
! November and December, .if labor can be held
steadily to IT, and where hands are hired fo1
| the year, IL ought to he done. The farmer can
then give his whole attention to these mat
tcrs--study and plan and supervise closely
We find that our presence is more Imperative
ly called for by this kind Of work than any
other ON the farm. In routine operations
term ents, repeated exercise OF Judgment is
called for at almost every step.
| We talk much of improving our lands by
deep rlowing. sowing peas, ana heayy l man ni1.
ing, and the soil is washed away as fast as II
is dccpened or enriched. In all efforts to I'M
prove the soil, the first step must be to hold II
attention, study, Ingenuity. must all be al
ouircd 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 tlarown up by
! the plow is easily washed away, ditches VII
be decidedly advantageous, especially ]
washes have already begun. In heavy rains
water requires a terrible momentum d1wr
slopes that are long and steep. If allowed tC
traverse tho whole distance; catch II IN q
ditch before it has had time to acquire vol
ume and velocity. Make the ditch large, anc
steep enough 20 hold the water In the heari
est rains: don't lie timid about this. fearine
your ditch will become Il gullcy. With tho
greatest fail given hillside bitches, 1t IS ar
easy matter to get them filled up after they
have served their purpose. Every one who
has had much experience with hil!si ditch
cs knows that the trouble is to keep them
open. Briars, weeds, etc. falling into them
are constantly catching earth. and making q
soil in their bottonls. upon which spring nI
grasses and weeds; these catch more soil and
soon the ditch breaks over, unless often clean
cd out. In crossing them with the ploW dlrl
to Impossible to keep them. open when the
plownran does not turn at the ditch: Wheft
rows are run Oh level, one years breaklns
aud cultivation OF the land Will completely
I<>l,I 4 n,.,fo if,.lt hnf jS
! a poorly made. inadequate ditch Is worse
than no ditch, hut properly made large ditc
has one decided diawback: especially on
steep slopes-the water falling into it ron
above tends TO start little gulIics on the upper
edge of the ditch; and these if not checked
! tend to congtte up the hi!l-in other WORDS
bitches tend TO generate gullieS. Fortunately
this can be obviated 10y leaving an unplowet
Weeds and grass growing upon this stril
binds it's soil so that water will not cu'
| through it, but checked In lis tiow,, deposits
its burden Of soil on said strip and quietly
percolatcs through. This strip should he moi
less than three feet in width. Where this pre-
caution has not been taken. and guilieS have
would be we'll to put trash Of some kind In
every one of these, weighing 1t down with
rocks. u perfect edge to the ditch can thus
be soon established, and the unplowcd strif
looking after these apparently little things
a stitch ia time will save more than nine AZ
terwartls
Where moderate gulies have already form
and put III thein--a little brush at intervals
or q row of stobs placed across them vii
serve to keep the leaves from being washed
out of them. If this Is done, and plowmen
made to lift their plOwS over In crossing these
washes, they will very soon fill mp. More OF
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 plowed
! nj bnnt Iiffipr nloXy fha lnnSn dirt IN
the wash is carried OIL by the first rain, and
thus every plOwing serves TO deepen the wash
Make it an inviolable rule to have the ploM
lifted over every wash that can be crossed
At this season Of the year it is well to SOW q
little rye, wheat or other grain along these
washes that are filled with leaves: 1t vii! her
mat erialy to catch and hold the dirt which Il
carried into them by rains; when this is done
in the spring, q spontaneous growth OF graS;
and weeds will do the same thing. 1t Is al
y, important however, In every case TO fix care
fully the lower end Of the wash or gully, SO a:
to check the action of water there; the filling
up will begin there and gradually work III
tile hill. We have repeatedly changed the
whole face of a field by such simple device!
as we have described, and with very little la
DOr
! Land thus guarded is ready for tcrracing
and terraces, when we'll established. will per
manently hold the soil and TT it for the reccp
tiun Of all the manure you can apply TO IL
After the soil is prepared TO receive manure
the next step IS to tit 1t for labOr-saving i'm
plemenls. These are our main reliance fO
) lessening the cost of production, which Is bu
u another expression for Increasing net profits
7 Every obstruction in the shape of rocks
stumps. ETC., should be removed. or course
this remark does not apply to newglOunds o
excessively rocky land. 1t probably woult
not pay to spend the requisite labor on these
) But there is an abundance Of open land III tht
country with very few stumps or rocks upor
it, and this should be cultivated and improv
ed, even If badly worn, In preference to any
other. On all such land the stumps and rock
SHOULD be removed: the cost will not be great
and will soon be paid back in the saving Of la
Dor from the use of implements which tcono
mizc labor. The smoothing harrow, with 1t:
broad sweep of ten or twelve feet, in the carly
stages of cultivation, and the straddling cul
y tivators carrying row at II go, at u late
stage Of the crop, will soon pay, back Will
large interest the expense of digging upa fcr
stumps and hauling Off few rocks. Perhap
these StumpS and rocks are needed close by t
build distractions across SullicS or rraVincS, O.
lcvccs across branch bottoms, to check TIT
flow OF water during floods and gather depoS
its OF rich sediment upon The soil. This build
ing of lcvccs across valley lands is worthy o
attention. Branch bottoms are IN some re
Spects our very best lands. but they are Offer
badly washed or secured by heavy rains. lie
wees built across at narrow points. where tn
) hills project into the bottoms, would not onl.
: stop the damage from water, but make tn
ovcrhowS positive blessing through the ricl
sediments deposited. Where the lcvecS eros
the main ditch. abutmcnts Of heavy rocks .
: of large timbcrS should be built OF willow
, planted on edge of ditch. Where rocks can
, not he had to build u lerce, q double row u
willows planted across tile bottom, with brusl
: and logs between and above them, will sool
max q good dam; Il willow dam would cos
al most nothing; green willow stalks driver
In along the line Is ull that is necessary. q
+ these take root and grow readily. y lttl
t work OF this kind, not done because no