The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-01-21
ITvEL vrP S>S LLINa TERRACES


D. -' - / Last Week.
= q fThe Progressive Farmer.
A. o.. ian is right when in his
.-,,5ar he says that the mode of
S,.r5 terracing is an important
ter If s not only the most i'm
tint subject now, but the most
P,,-,snt one thas ever has been or
rrir1 he before the bill-tiller.
r,rrRE : LEvELING PROCESSES.
r.;sar unalterable decree of fate
.,,+in the fulness of time the hills
"a mountains shall be leveled and
Lst tba sea shall devour all things.
r-.-v shower that falls 80 some ex-
..,+ carries out this inexOrable man
Ate Downward, ever downward,
'.rssraI the earth. Gradually the
.,ogs are exposed, orumbled by
,,.7oias and ordered down ward.
Nan il as helpless to wholly stay the
t.r5 of nature in thus dispOsing of
,sr own as he is TO arrest the motion
Il the Dlsnet on which he finds his
brisf home and his grave. Still he
,sn over the small area over which
10 has ntrol, and for the hurried
moment that he is master, lessen the
oDarstion of this law of fate. At
,nv rate, he can with some approx
nation restore natural conditions in
fsig respect; and by this means get
nore f0rd or more tinsel. For while
rrlv philosophers may bother them
ssIyes over the ultimate submersiOn
n the world, the practical man is
seeDlv Interested in the slow but
nasseless means by which this ia be
ing brought about. He Is interested
for the reason that this attritiOn,
this washing off takes first of all
that outer film in which alone he can
rov bresd-the soil. And is not
o-,7 take first re sell, EC.t it saaes
fist cf all the essence of that soil
hs elements of fertility.
TIE VALUE OF TERRACING RECOGNIZED
The future Of man, certainly the
future of the dweller in hilly or roll
ing regions depends upon his success
in conserving the soil. Mr.. Cool
man Is much alive 80 the Importance
Of aIl this, "a l am. As understand
1t, We also d gree as TO the most effect
i've mode Of effecting this wished for
end. We are only at variance as
whether it is practicable so carry
I7el terraCing to the lengths neoes
lsry 20 attain the utmost benefit
from it
I believe that Mr.. Goldman will
admit that hill side in which the
system of level terracing that prac
hCe and advocate has been carried
out will gain in fertility faster than
one with falling terraces, which
carry off the water faster than the
level terrace, though, of course, very
much slower than it would go with
noterraci0g at all What he questions
the pr ctlcability of maintaining,
or rather Of stablishing-foro once
established and the terrace crests
strengthened by settling and one
year s-or more-growth Of grass
and weed roots, l presume that he
would consider them safe even on
and as hilIy and sandy as that he
has to contend with.
But WHICH IS THE BEST METHOD?
Now while 1 have no doubt as to
'le entire praoticability and i'm
nense and far. reaching results of
.sVeI terraoing, there may be, and
"uDt.ezs are, regions in which it
presents such difficulties that they
oahn1t be ut once overcome with the
Implement at hand. Mr.. Coolman's
region seems TO be of that nature,
ana If not thoroughly done, the
grave re-lIts that he prophesies
would surely follow.
water n its wild effort to get
1'"n hill is d dangerous thing, it is
"oe' is Is not quite as hard to
SU5o as Mr. Goldman thinks. If
anu FL. es much, a three foot fall
:, '-- one farr-cs to another will not
p-A2s the over thirty yards apart
g I1. Fte7 are much closer. Mr.
=, ''InAn Is mistaken when he thinks
To minutes rain would over
mo-. " terrace t7o feet high. AS a
~. VI. tact, ten hour rain will
Heavy nsr.e ..,-r.-