The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-01-21


averages twelve inches deep through
out it's width of twenty feet. How
many inches of rainfall falling on
the space of thirty yards above it
will it hold without overfowing? {?
Arithmetic says nearly three inches.
A prOdigious rainfall for ten hours
This allows nothing either for what
the soil would absorb, which in
long rain would on average soil be
probably one inch.
The soldier the soil the greater
would be the amount of water TO
soak in. find that owing to the
fact, 1t is as easy 80 main tain ter
races on soddy as on stiff soil. The
stiff terrace holds better, but the
stiff soil above the terrace absorbs
less water and leaves more TO come
against the terrace.
PRACTICAL TEST.
need only repeat that in the
floods of May, 1901, 1 had new and
therefore necessarily weak terraces
that stood day after day for weeks
an enormous downpour of rain
Some of them were on drifting, sandy
hills that sloped fully 22% degrees;
that ia, one fourth the Way up from
horizontal TO per oendioular. In a
few instances believe the slope was
not less than 80 degrees.
Suoh abnormally unfavorable con-
ditions coming right on the fresh,
soft terraces gave some trouble as
was apprehended. But few, if any,
properly run, and completely finished
gave way.
If very wet Feason like that of
1901 come while the terracing sys
tenn is only partially carried TO
completion some of the crop rows in
the depression above the terrace will
-'jro ~. y, But eVCry S-Allon of water
that is held there TO soak in means
sediment TO enrich the soil. Finally,
when after some years the terraolng
process is completed and the sides of
each hill and slope converted into
series of stair steps, the flow TO each
step fitting a little up hill, all rains
but the very hardest would every
drop of them be absorbed. If there
was more than she terrace with the
depression on its upper side and the
ridge around its lower side could
hold, then is would dOw over the
terrace, not in a torrent, but a sheet
even and thin in proportion as the
terraces were correctly run and
properly built.
STOP WASHING AND LEACHING OF FER
TILITY.
The benefits that would accrue
from a thorough and general sys-
tenn of level terraoing are great
and manifold beyond conception.
Not only would the washing away of
soil and even the teaching out of fer
tility be practically arrested, but
every drop of rain that fell, instead
of robbing the soil of fertility, would
have the tables turned on it, and be
robbed of more or less of the am
monia it gathered in it's downward
flight through the air. This am
monia the soil would absorb.
CONSERVE MOISTURE AND FIGHT
DROUTHS.
Nor is that all or nearly all. The
conservation of moisture, effected by
the absorption of so much rainfall,
keeping all arabic land more or less
moist instead of hard, washed and
dry as is now the case in summer,
would greatly lessen the effect of
drought when is came. But would
drought be as apt to Gomez Would
not the conservation of moisture, far
surprising in the aggregate that of
any system of forest reserve prao
ticable, materially lessen the fire.
uuency and duration of drought?
WHERE FALLING TERRACES FAIL.
As before admitted, the falling
terrace is far better than none. The
objection to is is that it is only a
makeshift-a halfway measure Is
is not progressive. 1t cannot, like
the level terrace, be made more and
more effective every year till perfec
tion-practioally speaking-is at
tanned. Where level cultivation of
crops is followed, which is, believe,
conceded 80 be best, and which IS