The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-11-13

extreme point WHICH tHey reach WHEN
fed by waters flowing from denuded
slopes.
In we'll timbered country the for
ests act as great store houses of wa
ter giving it up to the natural drain
age channels at all seasons with reg
ularity. Floods while not absolute
ly unknown, are seldom destructive.
When the trees are removed from
any mountainous region of heavy
rainfall, like the Southern Appala-
chian country, the water collects in
rivllets, which coalesce, forming
larger streams and soon swift flowing
currents of water are pouring into
the creeks. which necessarily rise. The
velocity OF the moving water in
creases, and since the carrying power
increases six times as fast as the We
locity, the amount of soil which Is
moved Is very large The sand and
silt from the fields are carried down
into the rivers. forming huge sand
bars, which become a menace to nav
igation, or are deposited on the bottom
lard, often in such thick layers as
completely to destroy crops and rend-
or the land worthless. Fertile soil is
no: desired In the bed of stream,
but Is wanted on the fields, and it is
mt ch beteer to spend money to keep
1t where 1t is than to dredge out the
rivers.
The testimony Of large number Of
far mers and business men Of Oconee
Pickens, Greenville and SpartanburS
counties. Is unanimous to the effect
that the bottom lands, which were at
cne time the best farming lands of
those counties, are now almost all
ruined, and that this has been large
ly caused by the removal of the for
est cover. No evidence contrary to
this could be obtained, although
many people were questioned, thirty
years ago the first question which
prospective purchaser Of farm ask
ed was this: How much bottom land
is there on your farm?' The more
bottom land. the more valuable the
farm was presumed to be. At the
present time good upland, out Of the
reach Of high water. Is what is want
ed.
$50 much soil has ben deposited ir
the creeks that they are filled up al
most to the level of the adjacent
land, and small freshet will raise
the level Of the crssxs to such an ex-
tent that wide area Is inundated. IT
Is not safe TO plant cora or cotton in
! such places. since they are almost sure
10 be ruined before the season Is over.
Tie bottom lands soma times make
good pastures. but some of them are
sc frequently overfiowed that tli>
81 ass Is poor and thin, and Is so mud
dy that cattle AMI hogs are made
sick by eating It, Pools of water are
formed, and willows, hazel and other
SHRUBS and trees grow up, forming
dense thickets, and crowding out the
grasses. A rise Of two feet In the lev
ell Of q creek now does as much dam
aye as would once have been caused
BIZ rise Of ten feet. Some of the
highway bridges, which are now only
foot or two above ordinary water,
we're once 30 high above the creeks
that a man on horseback could ride
beneath them.
"a farmer in Pickens county stat
ed that on his farm Of 900 acres, the
best crops were formerly raised on
the bottom lands, which occupied ap-
proximately 10 acres. Nothing can
now be raised on this area. Much of
the land at the head waters of the
creek flowing through his farm was
cleared between 1865 and 1875, and
the filling up of the creek began at
that time. This is only one of many
instances which might bc cited.
There is no doubt of the fact that
the terracing of the hillside fields has
had favorable influence on the
stream flow. as we'll as on the reten-
tion of the soil In the fields them
selves. The testimony Of all settlers
was very convincing on this point. and
observation of the eroded condition of
the few unterraced fields still to be |
seen corroborated 1t.
1T Is to be hoped that the time is |
not far distant when the remaining |
forests on the mountainous lands o:
South Carolina will be placed beyon1 |
tie possibility Of destruction, or un-
wise exploitation. for the benefit, not |
only Of this generation, but Of those |