The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-05-22

past few years more ditchinp.
urdlnlng and terracing have been done
III TINS state than had been done in
twenty years preceding. a very small
traction of what ought to be done has
oGen done, however. There are thou
SANDS OF acres in Baldwin county, and
IN other counties where the land is roll
ing, where the gullies are gradually. Vet
steadily, widening and deepening.
ana down which the heavy rains
are as gradually carrying the finer
ana better parts of the surface soil (cut-
ting up field into little patches. which.
sooner or later, perhaps, are to be con
signed to the tender mercies of pine sap
pings and sedge), where little or no effort
Is Delng made to mitigate the evil conse-
quences of heavy rains.
After gUllies are allowed to form the
ulncultles IN the way of proper ditchinc
ana JerracIng IS very greatly increased of
course, but are not irreparable. At the first
clearing of the land it was a simple mat
ter to provide for the protection from
washing, to leave unplowed horizontal
sIrlps four to ten feet wide, with narrow
bitches on the lower sides of these strips.
After washes are started it will require
considerable labor to restore the level of
these low places to the terracing strips or
embankments. Rocks or pine brush or
other material will have to be freely used
at the lower part of the gully where it in
terSectS with the horizontal ditch or
strips Tor 'baulk'' as the English term
it,. A fall of or 81 feet is allowed be-
tween each horizontal ditch and strip
These strips that occur between the lands
should never be plowed. On land that is
only slightly rolling the ditch on the lower
side of the baUlk or strip need not be very
deep or wide; often it can be dispensed
with entirely. The apparent waste of
land IN these strips should not be re
garded. Some valuable forage crop may
| be established upon them and moved
from time to time. 1t is no use to discuss
any other plan for protection from wash
ing. This is the plan, the only plan that is
! effective and rational One need not ex-
pect to perfect it in one season. Timely
work on defective portions will soon es-
tabllsh perfect terrace. Where weeds
| take possession of the ''baulks" Qet US
adopt this term in lieu of stripsl, they
should be moved down before seeding, so
as not to foul the land
AS our lands increase in value of course
more attention will be given to their i'm
provement and preservation, but we can
very greatly enhance the productive
capacity and money value of our own
separate farms by promptly resorting to
! this comparatively inexpensive, but eff
fectlve, mode of preserving the cultivated
| area from waste. 1t is not necessary that
every farmer shall own level. A half
dozen or more in a neighborhood can own
one in common and one farmer, more ex-
pert with the level, might be employed to
run the lines and set the stakes for all
the rest A good level can be had now
for about IS, and when much leveling is
| to be done, and as the work is to be a
permanent improvement, it will be true
| economy to use a level and if possible get
man with practical knowledge of the
subject of terracing to use it for you.
There is considerable work of this kind
to be done about the farm by a practical
farmer who is practiced in running hOri-
zontal rows without resorting to level
| at all