The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1904-08-09

write to endorse what Mr.. Gibson wrote on
terracing. I would advise farmers living in the
hill country to terrace their lands as Mr.. Gibson
suggested, but where the land is dry and porous,
7 would run the rows on a "dead level" Begin
at the top of the hill to run off your guide rows
and drop down the hill each time with your level
lust three feet on the natural declension of the
hill.
It will pay a farmer where he has much land
to terrace to buy a target level. Now with one
of these instruments you can measure the height
of the tripped from the ground to the spirit level
where there is an opening to take your sight at
the target. Get your target on the target stake
Just three feet higher than the exact measure
you make on the tripod. Now start at the top
of the hill where it has the natural slope right
and left so that you can see the target when
moved each way right or left. First drive a
stake at your tripod at starting point at the
top of the hill, as suggested above, and have a
boy to take the target down the hill from you
until the target comes in view of your sight.
which will put him just on a three feet fall
below you. Drive your second stake here and
move your tripod to this second stake and set up
again. When you have adjusted it to a perfect
level send your boy Down the hill again to get
your next point and so on to the lower edge of
your field.
When this is completed, having all your start
ing stakes set down ON this convenient view
point on the hill, come back and start where you
set your tripod the first time and give your boy
some short stakes as Mr.. Gibson advised to use in
stalking the terrace lines. Let your target re-
main set three feet higher than your tripod.
Now let the boy carry the target to the right of
the first stake below your tripod. Step off five
or six steps and when the target is placed in cor
rect view, as you will guide him by making sig
mails to him with your hand, let him set up the
stake and continue setting the stakes every five
or six steps till he reaches the right hand limit
of the field. Now let the boy come back just
where he started first and go likewise to the
left.
When you have completed in this way the first
guide line, move your tripod down and set upon
it, when you will be ready for running the Sec
ond and so on down to the last one at lower
part of the field.
Plow up these stakes so as to avoid very short
curves, but follow them closely. Lay off half
the rows below this guide row and half above, so
the short rows will be midway between each
guide row. As you will run your terraces with
slight fall, your rows run on a "dead leveI' will
cross them. You can lift pillow over them or
turn around at the terrace.
I followed this plan on my farm in Arson be-
fore / sold out two years ago to move to the
Eastern part of the State. On my farm here ]
find that it is not necessary to terrace. but on
land slightly rolling l run my rows on a level as
described above. This plan, in my Judgment. is
the best for saving gravelly hill-sides as you will
find in Arson and other counties.
The terraces take off the surplus water and
the level rows hold all they can with ONLY here