St. Tammany farmer., 1906-11-10
FARMER AND PLANTER
THE MANGUM TERRACE.

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THE MANGUM TERRACE.
It Differs From the Ordinary, Being
Terrace and Ditch Combined.
have recently learned of a system
Of terracing land that Is new to me
and so far as know will be new to
most all of your readers. In my opin-
ion this is decided improvement on
the ordinary terrace and can be de-
pended on to give satisfaction in the
fullest degree, If properly construct
Cd. From what have seen and heard
of these terraces, believe it viii be
to the advantage of all-hill farmers
II they will adopt it.
A Mr.. Mangum, Of North Carolina.
originated the idea, and this style OF
terrace is known as the "Mangum" ter
race, but il seems that he did little
to bring the matter to the attention OF
the public. Prof. w. l.. Hutchinson,
director of the Mississippi experiment
station, has been building this terrace
for the past nine years.
The Mangum terrace differs from
the ordinary terrace in being ditca
and terrace combined. They are also
different in that old style terrace
causes the loss of one row Of the grow
ing crop to each terrace, while the
Mangum style causes no loss, as crops
are planted right over the ditch and
terrace the same as If they were not
there.
The old style terrace is built on a
perfect level, based on the theory that
rains falling on the land can be held
where they fall or be 30 evenly dis
tributed over the surface that no wash
ing will result, but in practice we know
that when neavy rains fall the theory
is knocked out and the land more or
less washed.
The theory Of the Mangum terrace
is that water cannot be prevented
from running, but that it can be made
to run slowly. Slow running wat5r
does little harm.
The Mangum terrace. as already
stated, is a combination of hillside
ditch and terrace, the dirt removed
in making the ditch being placed on
the lower side of the ditch, thus form
ing the terrace. Terrace and ditch
should each be at least six feet wide
and finished terrace 18 inches higher
tnan bottom of ditch. These points
are essential to success and should
be carefully observed. In laying out
these terraces care should be taken
to avoid sharp bends or turns, but
make them easy and gradual. Irregu-
larities in grade should be corrected
by plowing of bumps or high points
in ditch bottom and placing this dirt
on terrace at low points. When the
work is completed, bottom of ditch
and top OF terrace should be uniform
In grade, the ditch having no high
places to obstruct the water and the
terrace no low or weak point that
would allow q heavy rain to break
over.
It has been found that inches fall
to 100 feet is about right. Water run.
ming over this fall will not waah,
but will move with sufficient freedom
to get OF the land. Mucn more than
inches to 100 feet has proven to
be too steep and allows more or less
washing
Mangum terraces may be placed fur
ther apart than ordinary terraces. In
stead Of feet perpendicular fall from
one to the next one the fall may be
as much as feet. This will dispense
with more than half of the total num-
Der needed.
There is only one more point to be
noticed. Water will run slowly after
1t comes into this ditch If the ditch
has been properly made, but it should
also run slowly in passing over the
intervening space from the lower side
of one terrace to the ditch above the
next terrace below. If allowed to run
straight down the hill it will run fast
and will wash, carrying dirt into the
ditch and filing 1t up, so that it will
not carry the water. In order to con-
duct the wat3r into the ditch slowly.
rows should be run with the same fall
Of Z inches to the 100 feet, but in the
opposite direction to the fall of the
ditcn. In other words Il the field lies
in such manner that the ditch runs
towards the east the rows should lead
towards the west. When the rows
carry water to the ditch In one direc-
ton, the ditch reverses the course Of
the water and carries it in nearly the
opposite direction. Reference to the
cut will show how these rows run.
It will be noticed that they 60 right
on through the ditcn and over the ter
race without causing the loss Oh any
land or requiring a turn of the row at
that poipt. Wagons, mowers and 9TH
er machines can be driven right across
and avoid the necessity of having to
drive to the end of the terrace to get
out of the field.-W. E. Williams, in
Southern Cultivator.
FARM AND GARDEN NOTES.
-Tako In ~ r1o1uc hor 1yoe