The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-10-13
TnE yALuE OF ~rEanAclNa.
How IL IL shown on q Farm In ~Georgia-soms-
thing for Every Farmer to Read.
From The Atlanta Constitution }

How 1t Ii shown on q Farm In Georgia-soms-
thing for Every Farmer to Read.
(From the Atlanta Constitution
In replying to inquiries elsewhere,
mention is made of q recent visit to the
farm of Nh. Orme, near West Point,
Georgia. 1t is an historic farm, the first
terracing of land in the manner now so
generally practiced having been done
there. A former owner observing that an
old hillside ditch run nearly on a level,
and which had become INSTRUCTED, filed
up and overgrown with weeds and grass,
had caught the washings from above and
saved the soil, conceived the idea t,at a
narrow bed or dam run on a leve' " Md
do the same thing. He procc.7 Il to
construct some of these, and thinking
that the edge of q terrace more than
three feet high would he very incon-
venlent III Il field, located ,hem Mt such
distances apart that the difference in
level between two successive ones should
be Just that amount. Subsequent eX-
perlence has shown that he hit upon the
very best distance. When Ormc subse-
quently purchased the farm, he quickly
perceived the value OF the discovery. and
terraced all his land rs rapidly as It was
brought into cultivation. The result is
SIMPLY marvellous. Without a hillside
ditch on the place, and entirely through
the agency OF t%erracing, steep hillsides,
which were formerly dcfaced by great
gullles, have changed into smooth, level
terraces, susceptible of highest cultiva-
ton. Where the lines of level had been
correctly run, the results were perfect;
IN n few instances, incorrect running had
caused slight washes. We saw terraces
which were established some fifteen
years ago. The soil had accumulated on
their upper sides until the Intervening
surface had become almost or quite level,
Just as 1T appears in yards and gardens
where the work is done with spade and
shovel.
a little bed along the line Of level is
thrown up by two burrows of a large
plow, the centre of the bed not being
disturbed and remaining firm. This
strip, about a foot wide under the bed,
Is very important, as it prevents the bed
from being cut through by heavy rains
before the growth of grass and weeds
have strengthened it. To facilitate this
strengthening, grass seed are sown on
the beds as oon as they are thrown up
blue grass perhaps the best for the pur-
pose. Nothing more is required but to
repair any point through which water
may have cut before the bed was wei.
established, to nov down every year the
weeds, bushes or briars that may have
sprung up, and to pillow well down to the
upper edge OF the terrace border to keep
1t from widening too much. The lower
edge of the border should be kept nicely
trimmed by running the Dlow near it,
but care should be taken never to under
mine it. ii these rules are observed, the
uncultivated terrace bord.r will not cX-
coed a foot and Il half in horizontal
width, though its vertical height may
reach three feet.
Such is the process by which a broken,
billy farm has been held firm against the
ravagcs of water, and whicl, by judiciouS
cultivation and %manuring, has been
made one of the most beautiful and val
liable in the country. If the terrace
border or bed can only be held until it
becomes firm and filled with roots. the
battle is won. If it is broken, promptly
repair it, and as Mr.. Ormc's experience
clearly demonstrates, YOU will finally
succeed. His land is now no more liable
to wash than the most gently inclined
planes. The manure put upon it is in
no danger OF beng carried into the sea.
He holds both soil and manure firmly III
his grasp. Pointing to the soil which
has been held by the terrace border, and
which, IN some cases, had accumulated
to the depth of two and a half or three
feet, Mr.. Orme very p~crtinently asked:
What would have become of that soil if
only hillside bitches had been present?
Would it not all have been washed into
and carried away by those ditch $? We
could not answer no. Our faith in ter
races has been greatly strengthened by
inspecting this farm. They have been
tested-tested by prolonged time Citizen
years., tested on deep dcclivities and on
gentle inclincs, and tested on Il variety
of soils; in each and every case the YER
dict is, successful.