The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-05-06
gntelligeueer.
/ 7 FARMH;Rs' COLUMN.
sa5n Communications from our Farmers
on any matter pertaining to agriculture,
are respectfully solicited for this column.
TerracIng.

commenced terracing on small scale
lite over one year ago, sufficient to de-
termine the matter for myself whether it
would pay. Last fall and this spring, l
have terraced more extensively and ac.
cording to promise, give you for publi-
cation my experience and conclusions.
The terraces first made we're made on
lands that washed worse than any places
on my farm, the land being cultivated in
cotton and sown in wheat last fall. Those
terraces stood through the heavy rains
we have had, it being cultivated with
rows running parallel. By fall the ter
races had become settled and held all the
water above them. The wheat now, just
above the terraces, looking better than
elsewhere, showing that they have caught
and held much available plant food
Those made in the fall were made in
lands cultivated in cotton last year and
sown in wheat in the fall. They did not
stand so well, but broke in several places.
I attribute the failure to stand to the
following causes: 1st. They were not
sufficiently large aud strong, being
plowed with the common twister and
thrown up with shovels on hard sur.
face, the land being Immediately plowed
above them nearly half filled them up.
I'd. Water furrows left pointing towards
the terraces, which ought not to be DONE
In some places the water accumulating
ontside the field allowed to enter and rush
headlong against them. 1t should not be
required of terraces to hold any water
except that falling on field. Terraces
for wheat should be made large and
strong, by using good heavy turning
plow, throwing at least six furrows in
bed and then elevating it by throwing
some of the lower side Of the bed on the
top aud some additional work at those
points where the water has been accus.
toned to pass off, All this should be
done, because the surface of the field
soon becomes hard and the water finds
its way to the terraces very rapidly.
Oftentimes they break by oozing through
from the bottom, sometimes occasioned
by the track of mole. Those made in
the spring and land bedded before the
rains with but very few exceptions, have
not broken over. In nearly every failure
to hold in all the terraces, I. attribute it
to myself in deviating from the estab.
lished rules and not to the system, viz,
too much fall between the terraces and
neglect TO turn aud carry away water
coming from woods and unterraced lands
above. Where the terraces are broken,
it can be clearly perceived that the DAM
age has not been as great as it would
have been if there Lad been no terraces.
The water being held in body on a
level above when an outlet was formed
moved rather sluggishly and expended
its force over more surface, distributing
the soil that it moved more frequently in
other places in the field, rather than in
the usual way, down the hill and into
the branch. Almost everywhere in the
wheat land, even near where the terrace
did not hold, can be found the little wash
or gully, commencing near a terrace,
sometimes not larger than the track of
wagon, winding its way down until
checked by the one below and these de-
posting the sand and sediment, that
otherwise would have continued its
downward course, gathering strength and
velocity at every step until perhaps an
unsightly gully would have been formed
and much of the essential elements of
the soil carried away. I am not at all
discouraged, far from it. We must re-
member that we have had an unusual
amount of very heavy rain recently with
terraces unsettled and I am rather glad
of it because re can now see the mis-
takes we have mado and avoid them in
the future. My only fear now is that if
we have much rain, few weeks from
now, it may tend to drown out young
plants. If it does this, perhaps it will
be counterbalanced by a retention of
moisture after summer showers. l con-
clude with comment on an extract in
your issue of 21st, taken from proceed
ings of the society in Greenville County.
"In a conversation with Captain AlcKen-
zie by Mr.. McBee, he, Capt. Mckenzie,
stated his old terraces were all right
The best average report of wheat, oats,
corn and cotton that I have seen or heard
of from upper or lower Carolina nas
from Capt. McKenzie's farm in Green
vile County, stating that it was so we'll
terraced that scarcely a drop of muddy
water could be seen leaving it after
heavy summer rain. Drive stake down
there and resolve to stick to it. If they
break, patch them up. A farm cannot
be terraced in a day; no, not in one
season, but a little now and then will
complete it.-J. w. WorroRD, in Spar.
tanburg Spartan.