The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-10-14
THE Value or TEaRAclNG.
How Itis Shown on Farm In Georgia-Some'
thing for Every Farmer to Read.
: tFromthe Atlanta Constitution. >

How It 10 Shown on Farm In Georgia-Some-
thing for Every Farmer to Read.
2 (Fromthe Atlanta constitution) j.,
In replying TO inquiries elsewhere,
mention is made of q recent visit to- the
farm of Mr.. Orme, near West Point,
Georgia. It's an historic farm, the first
teTacmg OF land in the manner now SO
generally practioed having been done
there. A former owner observing thatan
old hillside ditch, run, nearly on @ Level,
and which had become obstructed, filled
up and overgrown with weeds and grass,
had caught the washings from above and
saved the soil, conceived the idea that n
narrow bed or dam run on level would
do the samo thing. Ho proceeded to
construct some of these, and thinking
that the edge of terrace moro than
three feet high would he very }incon-
yenient in field, located them at such
distances apart that the difference in
level between two successive ones should
be just that amount. Subsequent ex-
perience has shown that he hit upon the
very best distance. When Orme subso
quently purchased the farm, he quickly
perceived tho -Jalue of the discovery, and
terraced all his land as rapidly as it was
broughtlnto cultivation The result is
SIMPLY marvellous. Without q hillside
dltch on the place, and entirely through
the agency OF terracing, steep hillsidcs,
winch were formsrIy defaced by great
gullles, have changed into smooth, level
terraces susceptible of highest cultiva-
} 'uon. Where the lines Of level had been
correctly run, the results were perfect
IN lew instances, incorrect running had
caused slight washes. We saw terraces
which were established some fifteen
m hnl
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 tho bed not being
disturbed and remaining firm. This
strip, about q foot wide under the bed,
{ IS very important, as it prevents the bed
y irom 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 soon as thoy 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 well
established, to NOW down every year the
{ weeds, bushes or briars that may have
sprung up, and to pillow well down to the
upper edge of tho terrace border to keep
1t from widening too much. The lower
edge of the border should be kept nicely
trimmed by running the plow near it,
but care should be taken never to under
mine 1t. If these rules are observed, the
uncultivatcd terrace bord u Will not ex-
ceed foot and a half in horizontal
width, though Its vertical height may
reach three feet.
Such is the process by which a broken,
hlly farm has been held firm against the
ravages OF water, and which, by judicious
cultivation and manring, has been
made one Of the most beautiful and ynl
uablo in the country. If the terrace
border or bed can only be held uutil it
becoIRes 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 moro 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 in
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 half or three
feet, MIR. Ormc very pcrtincntly 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 s? We
could not answer no. Our faith in ter
races has been greatly strengthened by
inspecting this farm. They have been
tested by prolonged time (tiftecn
p. years., tested on deep dcclivitics and on
gentle inclines, and tested on variety
OF soils; in each and every case the vcr-
dict is, successful.