The log cabin Democrat., 1916-05-02
FARM TfRRACINC BECOMES POPULAR MUCH DONE IN FAULKNER Government Authorities Declare 1t
 Best Method to Reclaim
 WOrnout Lands.

Much of the time of County Agent J. l.. Phillips during the past winter and present spring has been devoted to making surveys on demonstration farms for the purpose of terracing. This feature of modern agriculture. which has only recently been intro duced by government authorities, Is said to be the best method yet devised for the reclamation of wornout soils especially where there is considerable |slope to the land.
 Mr. Phillips last fall purchased 'set of farm level instruments and has made many surveys for terracing purposes recently in this county. The methods and advantages of ter racing are interestingly described in Ia bulletin sent out this week by Dean J. H. Miller, director of the extension work of the United States department of agriculture.
 "Thousands of fields in Arkansas
 have been worked until the crops produced on them are so small that they cannot be cultivated with profit" says the bulletin.
 "A wornout soil means poverty. and Arkansas farmers should realize the value of terracing before it is too late to reclaim their wasting fields. Whenever water runs off of land rapidly soil particles are al ways removed. Shallow breaking, lack of humus or manure and running the blow up and down the hill all permit a great amount of washing. The best way to handle hill land is to break deeply, practice a crop TO- tation, add manure and run the rows around the hill. In this way the sur l. plus water will be carried off grad
 ually instead oT rushing down the
 centers of the field cutting out d
 deep ditch. A great many rolling
 fields should be put in bermuda or
 other grasses while they are new
 The grass will hold the soil in place
 and will furnish a splendid income if
 pastured.
 Rolling hills that are to be farm
 ed should be terraced. Terracing is
 inexpensive and keeps the rich soil
 particles in place. A terrace is a
 broad oval 1evee around the hill
 which holds the water back and al-
 lows it to flow off slowly. By using i a terrace much of the rain has a chance to soak into the soil where it
 will be of use to the growing crop.
 In laying out terrace an ordinary
 carpenters level, or a regular farm
 level is used. A terrace should have
 fall of about six or eight inches to
 each hundred feet, and should run to
 a good outlet at one end of the field.
 A fall of three feet between terraces
 has been found most satisfactory. | With a greater fall there is danger of
 breaking. When the line of the ter
 race has been located it is made by | back throwing five or six rounds with a two horse blow. The dirt is then pushed to the center with drag, and land is rebroken toward the center. Breaking tw-ce and dragging twice will usually make the terrace strong enough to hold the water. The broader and wider the terrace, the less danger there is from break ing, and the least land is lost. When the terrace is complete, rows of cot ton or corn may be pIanted on top and these should run with the ter race. After the first year, if the ter races are made strong enough, the rows may be made straight across the field hut the breakinp muSt uS- ually be done by back throwing to the terrace. A narrow terrace with