The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-03-08
STRFACE DRAINAGE OF LAND

rho location If the hillside dixie or
vhat i known in Europe as the water
furrow. is Of great Importance and should
receive the personal attention of The
l~rnd-cvurr Ihp dixie, should be few
in number and we'll located. y good
hank is essential with Il heat OF eighteen
inches or TWO feet with Two inches fall
in sixteen feet. The common spare land
with j spirit lever on the cross bar will
do accurate work. the plumb o IS
roo slow. Running of the rows Is OF
the utmost Importance. and should enter
th. dixie diagonally or what farmers call
..sluncking" up stream. Experience has
proved that bikes and rows run with this
fall will not break in the heaviest rains.
while bikes run al random. the runs
coming bluff 10 the dixie or down stream
invariably break in Il heavy rain or wash
10 gullies. doing more harm than good.
When the level shows Il ZlZZag course in
blaming ont the ditch cut off the sharp
angles so that if it he 4 curve II may be
uniform. the bow always up-llne. The
intermediate terrace cannot be adopted
by the thousands of One-hOrSe armerS
1t is in the reach Of those only who
can use two. tire or four horse plOwS.
Every farmer should aim To retain his
Sll:l-t Ol the ilIlillOllli. OILS VI WHICH XII
nually falls to the earth in the shape of
rain. especially At a time like this when
under the gold standard" the powers
that be can contract the currency and
put on the thumb screws Of hard times
and low prices at will.
Bulls and bears control the cotton mar
ket. not always supply and demand. The
average with us for the past year IS.
that one farmer in ten has paid out, rhe
remaining nine are in arrears Of from ten
10 one hundIpd dollars each wins to the
low price of the raw material. they
cannot purchase the manufactured ar
ticlc of which their families are greatly
in need. The remedy for this is, to raise
our Own supplies. half the acreage III
the cash crop and hold the cotton. Give
rs sixteen ounces Of silver 10 one OF
gold. repeal the 10 per cen tax on
State banks. found the banks on real
estate. the best security in the world.
establish the banks on the Alabama
plan, having Il financial center for the
producing States. the South and West.
wherein each State will deposit bonds to
the full amount OF the currency issued
within its borders. thus making Il paper
dollar from Nebraska or any other State
South or West. as good Us gold with us.
| passing for the face value with us. and
vice versa. with his lane tho farmer can
take stock in the bank. on his land he
can borrow money from the bank ii
i per cent. we shall always have
enough money and never too much.
Brother farmers, hcnccfOrtn look to
yourselves. Which side will you sup
port. the one which is crushing YOU to
the earth and will seat your children on
poverty's knee. or one that will COVE You
freedom and independence and lift the
| mortgage from our farm. The 20 wers
| that be, boast of the purchasing Dover
OF the dollar, but where is the dollar:
How much Of the product Of your labor
do We have to sell to get it and then it
will not go any further in paving a doc
tor or lifting a mortgage than if we
had sixteen to one The prediction of
the great Napoleon seems to be lowering
over us. who. when chided by the crown
ed heads of Europe for ccding Louisiana
to the United States. on the ground
that it would make them too powerful.
replied that if | had another Louisiana
| would cedc it to them. make them rs
territory they want, and eventually the
wants Of the people OF one part will be
diamctrically opposite to the wants OF I'll.
other, the country being of such magni-
tude Will fall to pieces of its own weight
w. II. HAMILTON.