The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-02-14
PROBL EN- OF INCREASING
PRODUCTIVITY OF THE LAND

zontal strip three inches by is feet is
| nailed at right angles strip three
inches by forty-two inches. these serv.
! Ing as legs. Short, diagonal strips of
the same dimensions are used to brace
| the frame The spirit level is then
attached 10 the horizontal bar, with
| the bubble exactly eoui-distant from
| its ends. The instrument should now
be tested on perfectly level surface
to see If 1t Is accurate, II ii is not
make such adjustments as are neceS-
sary by slightly shortening one of
TIE legs. The instrument Is now
ready TO lay off lines ou perfect
level. If the lines are to have a fall
small block of wood may he tackled
to the lower and of one of the legs,
the thickness Of the block being de-
termined by the degree OF fail de-
sired For instance block one inch
thick will give fall of one inch to
each sixteen feet, or approximately six
inches to each 100 feet.
Whether terraces should have Il
fall must be determined by the ma
ture of the soil and subsoil and their
capacity for absorbing water An
open. sandy loan may he so porous
that the terrace lines can be run on a
| level; but no most soils a fall of from
four to six inches to each 100 feet is
advisable. This fall is sufficiently
gradual to remove the surplus water
without erosion. Care must be oh
served in anding suitable outlet ro~
the water from each terrace or emf
/ hs nkment
+ Laying OF the Terrace.
! In laying off the terrace lines with
/ the level they are easily marked by
placing small piece of ordinary news
paper weighted with bit of earth at
Tire place of each reading. A good
two horse plow shout then be used
to pillow up the emba nkment. making
! the line of newspaper markers its
center. y good rain should be allow
/ ed TO settle the earth, and then it
/ should be plowed up TO the center
again. repeating the second time II
necessary 20 bring the eu.bankment
up to its necessary height of from
/ eighteen to twenty-four inches. A
terrace SO constructed is unquestion-
ably effective in holding heavy down
pours and requires little attention for
maintenance, being careful at sub
sequeut plowings Of the land to make
/ the center of the terrace the back
furrow will be quite sufficient
| The vertical distance between sue
cessve terraces must be determined
/
fields any distance less than four fee
!. will place them too close: while or
gently rolling areas three feet will
place them amply far apart. After
the terraces are constructed the rows
are aid off by beginning at the cen-
! ter of the embankmant and laying
them off on and parallel to the ter
race until halfway to the next ter
race below and above. The same
procedure is followed with the othes
terraces. the object being to have
whatever short rows may be neces-
sary fall In the center. These short
rows should occur in pairs to facili-
tate cultivation.
The efficiency Of the broad. cult
waited terrace in soil conservation has
| been demonstrated. The only posi-
Bile objection to 1t lies in me sup
posed difffculty in using improved
/ farm machinery on terraced nelds
This objection is not valid. An EN-
Ibankment twenty feet wide easily adj
mits of the passage of wagons, bind
ers mowers and even farm tractors
True, the rows may be curved and
some short rows may occur, but COCO
/ farm practice prefers curved and
short rows on such land TO straight
rows on quilted hilsides.