y,. v. I.— 742. 



THE MANGUM TERRACE IN ITS RELATION TO 

 EFEICIENT FARM MANAGEMENT. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The terrace problem is an extremely important one in the South- 

 ern States. AVhere there is any considerable slope it is necessary to 

 have some sort of ditch or terrace system to carry off the water in 

 such a way as to prevent erosion of the soil. Many of the systems 

 now in vogue are entirely satisfactory with reference to the removal 

 of surplus water without erosion, but frequently fail to meet the 

 needs of a commercial system of agriculture wdiere it is essential to 

 use modern machinery. The Mangum terrace, as worked out by 

 P. H. Mangum, of Wake Forest, N. C, many years ago, admirably 

 meets the requirements of the farm for modern machinery equip- 

 ment. Since this is one of the factors of vital importance in efficient 

 farui manageuient in the South, it is believed that a description of it 

 may have wide interest at this time. 



UNDESIRABLE FEATURES OF CERTAIN TERRACE SYSTEMS. 



Among the undesirable features of many of the terrace systems 

 commonly used in the South at the present time may be mentioned: 

 (1) The waste of land occupied by terrace banks; (2) the increased 

 labor cost by plowing the land in small stretches and by cultivating 

 on contour lines with frequent short rows^ (it has been shown that 

 in one case a saving in cost of 70 per cent in hoeing and -20 per cent 

 in cultivating was eifected by abolishing the old contour system) ; 

 and (3) the large crop of weeds and grass seeds produced on the 

 old-style teiTace bank and also the insects harbored, particularly in 

 boll-weevil sections, (Fig. 1.) 



"Where 1-horse implements are mainly used and the farms are of 

 such size as not to warrant the use of a more extensive type of 

 machinery, the fact that the terrace bank is not to be plowed across 

 cr that the whole field must be worked in contours, necessitating 

 short rows betAveen the terraces, may not be such a ver}^ serious hin- 

 drance : but where gang plows, section harrows, and riding cultivators 



^ See Farmers' Bulletin 310, U. S. Dept. of AgricuUure, entitled "A Successful Alabama 

 Diversification Farm," p. 24. 

 [Cir. 94] 



3 



