Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-01-14
rerracins and Draining.

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most convenient time for the work
OF terracing, the crops having been
harvested and out of the way. NV
own experience is in agreement with
probably large majority of farmers
who have adopted this system, that
it is the most effective means for the
purpose in view that has 80 far been
devised.
Before undertaking the work it is
well for the inexperienced farmer to
understand the essential principles
npon which the system is based.
That there is want of proper
knowledge at this point there is
abundant evidence, even on the
farms cf those WHO have actually
adopted terracing. The idea that
prevails among these farmers is that
the terrace bank is intended and ex-
Pected to actually hold all the water
that falls between it and the next
terrace bank above, and actually pre-
vent such water from passing down
to :he next terrace. In accordance
with this idea we see high ridges, or
banks, thrown up along the lines of
level that have been marked out by
means of the terracing level, on some
farms. A notable case is farm not
far from Atlanta, Immediately on
the line of the Central of Georgia
Railway, on which the banks are
30 high and the ditch above so deep
that view from the window of the
Car reminds an old soldier of success
sive lines of connected military
earthworks or ride pits. If such ter
races, or terrace banks, are laid with
out any grade or "fall' the water
will, of course, be impounded-per
haps better say imponded-on the
upper side of these banks, forming q
long, winding lake or pond along the
lines marking the lower edge of each
terrace. The result is a padding
and complete soaking of the soil
after every heavy rain, for width
varying from s to 10 or Is feet. Of
course this wet, "ponded" strip re-
mains too wet to plow for days after
the soil above has come into good
plowing condition. / have had such
terraces and know by experience
that what have just said is true.
The true purpose underlying the
system is to prevent the water from
concentrating at any one point and
30 forming a arapidly flowing, destruc-
tive stream of water, which soon
washes away the surface soil and
gradually forms gully. Where
such bitches and banks as are re-
ferred to above are present, the same
being run on dead level, the i'm
ponded water will frequently break
some weak place in the bank and the
pent up volume will rush through as
if it were q break in mill pond
dam, carrying destruction along it's
rushing pathway, breaking in success
sion other banks below.
| prefer to see each terrace rang
ing round the hillsides like the steps
of a flower g and, or more like the
successive levels of the graded floor
of large building, such as a theater
or opera house. There should be no
raised bank, or but few inches
enough to allow for the settling of
the freshly disturbed soil. The
theory of the operation of such ter
races is that the water from an un-
usually heavy rainfall--too much for
the soil to promptly absorb it as it
falls-is induced to spread out, or
rather to remain spread out, and the
excess will flow over the terrace
bank in thin sheet, doing little or
no damage in majority of cases.
Two other essential details should
be noted. The work of locating the
lines of tho terraces should be done
with great accuracy they should be
practically level. When the four
burrows are thrown together (bAck
to back) to form the terrace bank
the mass of earth should be boarded
off and compacted into a dead level
all the way around. The leveling
instrument should be used to test
the accuracy of the work. Low
places should be filed or raised with
soil taken from adjoining places that
are too high. At this point it is
convenient to suggest the sowing the
80. called bank, or lower edge of each
terrace, for space of or 5 feet in
width, in aperennial species of grass
or alfalfa. Sorghum answers very
well. The bank should be kent rea.
sonably clean of weeds, briers,
bushes, ETC., by regular attention at
the proper times.
The other detail to be insisted on