The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-05-08
THE DRAINAGE PROBLEM.
Not How to Run the Water of, But How
to Keep 1t on the Land.

ROUu iaTuSE. 1o WOIkS udlu, OOooAf0
closely, and being of very inquiring
turn of mind, continues to progress as he
grows older. For the past two years the
doctor has been developing pet origi-
nal theory as to practical and econom.
ical method Of terracing, and having
perfected his plans to that point where
they may safely be called success, a
few days ago he invited reporter of the
Enquirer to go out and see what he is
doing. His farm is just within the in
corporate limits of the town, not more
than fifteen minutes walk from the En-
qsircr Office, and in company with the
doctor, the reporter has taken occasion
to accept the invitation.
DR.. Walkers farm, like the larger por-
tion of the lands in this section is decid
edly rolling, and of character requiring
the most judicious drainage for its con-
tinued preservation. And it is this
problem of drainage, which has so long
puzzled the more advanced agricnltur
lists, that the doctor thinks be has solved.
On the road to the farm, Dr. Walker
remarked:
"When I was boy, nearly all the
creeks in the country were full of deep
holes. Take Allison creek, up here. 1t
used to be full of fsh-good big fish
and every few hundred yards was a great
hole that would swim horse. But now
you might hunt froEn source to mouth
without finding more than one or two
places you can't wade. Now, of course,
there is reason for this, and if you will
just think about it for moment you
will see it. It is just this: The timber
has been cut away; the lands have been
put under cultivation, and whenever q
rain comes. large quantities of loose dirt
are washed right into the creek. There
is too much to be carried off with the
current, and consequently it just settles
to the bottom of the stream all along,
filling up the holes, clogging the channel
with sand and utterly defeating the pur.
pose for which nature intended the
creek.
"It is an alarming fact that our bottom
lands are rapidly becoming worthless.
Scarcely any of them will average crop
every other year, and the present outlook
is that before great while longer they
will be fit only for pastarage.
"Now this was not the case before the
timber and underground were cut away.
Then, when a big rain fell, the leaves
and undergrowth absorbed large guam
tity of the water, and, acting as filter,
collected most of the dirt and sand. In
this way the creeks were kept clean.
"But the lands have to be cultivated,
and before they are cultivated they have
to be cleared-that's plain. So the ques-
tion arises, 'Whst are you going to do
about it2' The only practical answer
given by most people is ditch; but that
won't do. I've been watching the matter
all my life, and I have never seen that
remedy prove entirely successful yet.
Some people understand ditching better
than others, and can use this knowledge
to corresponding greater advantage in
holding lands; but whenever it rains,
just notice those muddy red streams rush.
ing toward the creek, through and across
bitches, like q mill sluice. Thsy hold in
solution your guano, your stable manure,
and in fact, a large proportion Of the best
elements of your soil. Every rain
leach out more or less OF your fertility,
and that matter which goes to color the
water is usually the very cream"
''From that, it would seem, Doctor,
that you don't want the water to run off
all all ?"
stThat's it. That's it. That's the
whole secret. You don't want one drop
more water to run off your hlll.sides
than you can help. You want to keep it
standing right where it falls until it is
absorbed in the ground, and that is just
what am going to show you howto do?"
By this time ne had arrived at long,
sloping hill, falling about three feet in
twenty-five yards.
"Now, see here. have just COM
menced on this field this year. You see
how the land lies and the way I am
going about terraciDg it. The idea is to
build dams, 80 to speak, one to every
three feet of fall. If the land falls three
feet in fifty yards, then you want them
about every fifty yards apart. They
should be thrown up as near on level
as possible, 80 the water can't find low
places to break over. And you will
observe this doesn't cost any more, or
require any more labor than to cut
bitches. ALI have had to do here, was
to run three or four burrows and throw
the dirt on the upper side.
"Now, what water falls on this side of
yonder terrace runs down to this one and
is held here. They are close enough
together, and each terrace having to hold
only such water as falls within limited
space, there is no possibility of breaking
over.
"That is the theory of the thing, icon.
tinued the doctor. 'Now, come over
here further and let me show you the
practice"
In another part of the farm we came
to another series Of embankments. They
were from two to three feet high and be-
coming covered with species of blue
grass. Explained the doctor:
II have been working on these for over
two years now, and you see what has
been done. The idea is to keep on