The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-10-10

The following open letter Will be found
of finterest by all who are interested in
farming and will suggest some new ideas
to mary readers:
GREENNILLE, Sept. "a, 1894.
Hon. M. L. DoNALDsoN-Dear Sir:
You ask of me for use at Clemson Col
lege copy of an article published in the
Greenville Ne'cs many years ago describ-
ing remarkable experiment made by
Mr.. Cole. of Schenectady, N. Y in saving
the rain water on the hill sides for use
during the usual summer drouths. I
can't find copy of the paper-the News
files having been burned several years
ago-but will try in few words to de-
scribe the Cole, and its application to our
terrace system, as attempted in the arti-
Gle referred to. Mr.. Cole selected five
acres of hillside clay land and dug para.
lei bitches, which he called reservoir
bitches, 3x3 feet on dead level, across
the hill side, fifteen feet apart, all the way
down to the base of the hill he filled in
these bitches, to within few inches OF
the surface, with angular and jagged
rocks and such other material as would
give the largest space for the rain water,
which it is intended to hold in reserve
for the summer drouth; he then put
some straw on the rocks to keep the sand
and dirt from filling the crevices in the
rocks and then threw back the earth on
the bitches and brought to sufficient
level to be plowed over. He then dug
little bitches which are called "outlet
drains" from one reservoir ditch to the
next below, and so on to the base of the
bill. These outlets are small blind ditch
es, one foot wide and two feet deep-half
filled with broken rock and covered In
with dirt to plow across-intended to
slowly drain off the water from the res
ervoir bitches, the moisture, (if outlets
enough) reaching the surface of the whole
five acre plat.
This was eaid to have the been the
most productive piece of ground known
in the State of New York not under
glass.
This system combined drainage and
irrigation with eminent success.
Now, see how easily the system can be
used in connection with our system OF
terracing.
Instead of throwing up terrace with
the plov,, dig reservoir bitches feet wide
feet deep Tor x 2 feet) precisely on
the plan of terraces, viz: terrace for
every fall of 8 feet on steep land, and 2
feet on gently sloping land. The dirt
thrown out below the ditch will make
permanent terrace from to 3 feet high;
fill up the ditch to the top, and as high
above the top as you have material, with
brush or rocks and stumps, or whatever
is at hand nothing better than old field
pine brush that will hold water like
sponge--then dig the little outlets, blind
bitches, one foot wide by feet deep-3
poles at the bottom and the rocks you
find at hand thrown in, running as many
of these outlet drains as needed from one
reservoir ditch to the next below cover
over and plow across; and the farmer at
a cheap rate (because he can do the work
at odd times in winter) will enhance the
value of his cultivated land a 100 per
cent. and his land will never wash.
Respectfully,
N. Fl. DAVIS.
P. SIT requiring only little thought
and experiment to find how this system
of drainage and irrigation may be i'm
proved. The two material points gained
are: First, the rain fall is held on the
hill side; and scond, the water is covered
from the sun and there is no evapora-
ton. Tile will not answer the purpose,
because tile is used tor carrying off su-
perfuous water and not for holding it in
reserve against the summer drought.