The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-02-14

even fair living, farming poor lane,
says a writer in the Progressive
Farmer. On rich. deep, fresh allu-
vlaf- lands the most ignorant negro,
by keeping down the grass and
weeds. can make a bale Of cotton to
hillside all that science can do Will
hardly keep a man from starving to
death.
With these facts in mind what fs
our primary problem in increasing
production and profits? Unquestion-
ably. overshad downing all the rest, it is
TIE problem of getting and maintain
ing soil fertility. Until we solve this
problem we may be definitely certain
that We can make no great agricul-
tural progress.
What will enable as to do this, and
to do it most effectively and econom =
icaily? Winter cover crops on every
possible foot OF our cultivated lands,
stuffing our soils full of rotted veg
etable matter. deep plowing. and the
use of broad cultivated terraces on
all follins fields that tend to wash.
1t is to the latter how to build and
maintain them. to which we wish
here to give special attention.
The hillside ditch as ordinarily
used Is worse than useless. 1t lis gen.
orally laid off with fall OF foot or
more TO each hundred. feet, each row
in the field emptying its water into
this ditch. The rapidly moving water
down the hillside must eventually
wash the land into deep gullies ana
/. lead to the abandonment of the field.
Even where constructed with fall
sufficiently raduai TO prevent ser'-
GUS erosion, the space occupied by
the hiiaide ditch is waste. nonpro-
(luctive land. serving as harbor Tor
noxious weeds and insects.
Terraces a Necessity.
! Terra cea so-calied, are often
used as means of preventing
erosion. Perhaps the most common
of these is the narrow or razor
back" terrace. which Ia nothing more
than an embankment one and one
half or two feet wide and perhaps IS
inches high. This form OF terrace
has many serious objections. and its
use IL not advised. 1t is usually so
narrow that it is easily broken by a
| heavy downpour; and once broken.
| the force u the accumulated water Is
so destructive that it would have beer,
better 10 have left the land uuter-
raced. Such a. terrace, like the
| hillside dit4a, Is usually overgrown
with grass and weeds that shelter
/ harmful insects; and 1t and its growth
of weeds occupy space at least SIX
feet wide that should be producing
crops.
! Undoubtedly the best means yet
| devised for controlling water ON Gull
| tivated hillsides consists in what Is
known as ths broad or cultivated ter
race This consists essentially Of a
broad emhankment plowed up from
| IS to 90 feet wide and from IS inches
! to two feet high at the center. II
| the field is to be cultivated rows are
| placed right upon this embankment;
or If sown to small grain. the entire
| terrace is seeded as is the rest OF
| the field. Such a system OF terracfng
J is a demonstrated success wherever
/ tried The writer knows of instances
where fields. quilted six feet deep and
abandoned. have ben entirely re-
claimed by the use OF broad terraces.
The first step In the construction
| of terraces is r,e' determination OF
the implements necessary. Where
the farmer has the use of an engt-
neer's wye level and is familiar with
its operation. it is very accurate In
Rtrument with which to do the work
But where not already available the
purchase OF such a level is not ad-
vised, az IT Is expensive and its ad
/ justments are not always easy for
the novice A farm level with tele-
scope alta Alments can be bought for
from $40 to SIS. and will be found q
/ most useful adjunct to the farm
equipment IN laying off terraces, lay.
ing out tile darins and building fences
and outhouses.
! In the absence OF either of the
above. a simple but entirely depend.
/ bile level can be made at total cost
! OF not over So All that is necessary
are some straight. sound pine strips
one by three inches. and an ordinars
spirit level At each end of hori-