Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-01-02
soUftI ARoL.1s d. JAN. 3, I ieoI.
Tsrl'rao,lng Lands.

S q z. S s. vs. ,s
The main object In in|terraoing land
isto keep the top soil fromiw ashing
off. When properly laid Of they
also serve as|guides to assist in run
ming rows onsa level. But terracing
is only q make-shift at last. II lie an
expediency that should be resorted
tosuntil q better condition could be
secured .Sls !, (. .5,
There il level and rolling land
enough In the Piedmont for our far
niers fortseyeral generations without,
plowing up the steep hillsides just to
wash away and fill up the streams
and ruin the lowlands. These hill
sides, if already cleared, should be
set in Bermuda graps or permitted to
grow mp in sedge, old field pines and
such buehes as will prevent washing.
There is no terracing that will save
land that is set mp on its edge when
it is cultivated every year. So it is
only the rolling lands that should be
terraced. Very steep hillsides and
lands nearly level do not need it.
Terraces should bs run on a level.
The only exception is whore there is
a sink or low place in the field !; the
terrace at that point might incline
upward and be located an inch or
two higher than the adjacent parts.
In that case it is better to make the
bank higher 80 as to keep the surplus
water from breaking over. In that
way the swag or low place will soon
fill up. AT the end of terraces
where they have an outlet into a
ditch or stream, IL is we'll to give
just fall enough to draw off very
slowly surplus water when the rains
are very heavy. This may prevent
the breaking of terrace by exces-
sive water. Terracing should al
ways be high enough to hold the
surplus water.
About half the terraoing does
more. harm than good. A tenant
some time ago was asked by neigh
Dor why he did not stop a certain
wash that was starting. His reply
was: sits not my land T; I don't
care if it does wash away" Many
land owners act in the same way.
If terraces are not watched and
kept repaired it is much better never
to make them. In some fields nearly
level we have observed three ter
races when there ought to be only
one and often none at all. We saw
one run about 300 yards right on a
dividing ridge not long ago. 1t re-
quires judgment to lay off terraces
and constant watchfulness to keep
them up.
Many of the terraces are not laid
off on a>level. In the old days down
in Mexico the poems could lay off
miles of irrigation bitches on level
without the aid of instruments, so it
is said. But our farmers cannot ter
race ten-acre field correctly with
out a good instrument. There are
cheap levels on the market, some of
which are not satisfactory. Of
course the best instrument lie the
civil engineers transit properly used,
and, in the long run, it is the cheap
est. If the farmer will carefully 90
over his fields, locate his terraces at
any one point, have all his stakes
ready, an engineer can mark off sew
eral miles of terraces in day. Then
when this work is properly done they
will serve as guides for rows, or if
the farmer wishes to plow up his ter
races he can make new ones. parallel
to the old ones. The triangle made
of two pieces of light scantling that
will reach IL to 18 feet will do fair
work if properly handled. Bear in
mind that if they are not properly
laid off and thrown up high and care
fully watched after every hard rain,
it is better not to terrace at all.--.