The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1908-07-02
A GREAT LOSS.
Washing or EFoding Of Farm Lands.
WORTH CAREFUL READING,
North Carolina Geolczica, Survey

One OF the most important agri
cultural problems that confronts tn.
farmer in the middle portion or Pied
mont section of the State, and one
that is intimately connected with
successful farming is the constant
washing or erosion which takes place
from hillside farm lands. BY fal
the larger portion of the lands in thi:
Piedmont section Of the State are hill
side lands and thus subject to ero.
sion. This is one of the greatest
drawbacks to successful farming
for while it is possible for one to
have good and productive farm on
level lands which is easily kept up,
it requires man of much greater
capacity to operate a farm profitab-
ly under adverse conditions which
prevail in the south where hillside
farming is practiced. The extent of
erosion from the farm lands of the
Piedmont plateau region is indicated
by the enormous amount of soil
which is yearly washed away in the
muddy rivers. In this section it
amounts to more than four million
tons year and it has value, based
on the amount of plant food and
humus in it, of S2,O0O,OOO.
A bulletin has been prepared by
the North Carolina Geological and
Economic Survey entitled Terracing
of Farm Lands, which discusses this
erosion and the methods of lessening
it. 1t explains why certain soils
erode more easily than others and
then shows why lands in the South
ern States are so much more subject
to erosion than lands in the north
eastern States. TIE two most impor-
tant reasons for this are: The heavy
rainfall Of the Southern States
which frequently takes place in con-
centrated showers; and second, the
close texture Of the soils. The vari-
Gus cultural methods lessening ero-
sion are also discussed with special
reference to lands used for growing
cotton, corn and tobacco and this is
followed with a description of the
different methods of terracing and
diking lands, which are used where
the cultural methods are Inadequate.
There is discussion of the kinds
of land to which different forms of
terracing are adopted. The hillside
ditch, which is in such common use,
is regarded as being of little value,
since it occupies much land without
checking erosion. The methods of
constructing terraces is shown and
also the value and use of hillside and
reversible disk plows in relation to
farming.
In conclusion, the opinion is ex-
pressed that lands which are too
steep to be terraced should not be
cleared but should be kept in forest.
Suggestions are given respecting the
best methods Of reclaming badly
washed land for farm use as well as
for planting out in trees, which often
seems the best policy.
If any one desiring suggestions
and assistance in regard to replant-
ing such washed lands in trees, will
correspond with the State Geologist
or Forester, Chapel Hill, N. c.. such
will be sent to them.
The census of 1880 gives more than
a million acres of waste land in the
middle part of the State, practically
all of which is wash farm lands.
A copy of this bulletin can be alb
tanned by writing the State Geologist
at Chapel Hill and enclosing four
cents in stamps to cover mailing
charges.