TERRACING AND PLANTING 



m 



almost complete destruction of the plant cover has resulted, 

 may be reclaimed by terracing and planting after the livestock 

 has been entirely excluded. The gully type of erosion can 

 usually be effectively broken up by the construction of terraces 

 laid out approximately on the contour, but so placed as to al- 

 low the water to drain off through their channels. If they are 

 reenforced by an occasional small rock-fill built in the washes, 

 such terraces are effective. 



-J'/ci^js f/<3itsnec/ on uppet~ surf^cG 

 6'o" 



Fig. 63.— terrace DRAG. 



An effective implement used in shaping up terraces to check serious erosion 1 



important watersheds. 



The place for successfully attacking the erosion evil is at its 

 source. Accordingly, the first terrace should be built near the 

 head of the gulhes. Those estabHshed below the uppermost 

 terrace should be placed at intervals of 15 to 30 feet, depending 

 on the steepness of the slope. The terraces should be built 

 about 4 feet wide. This can be done most cheaply by the use 

 of the " terrace drag," which is run over the surface of the soil 

 after plowing (Fig. 63). 



After the construction of the terraces it is well to seed down the 

 area, preferably to plants that form a turf. On the native 

 pasture lands seeding to the natural vegetation gives the best 

 results (Fig. 64). Terracing is expensive, however, and should 

 be resorted to only where erosion is very serious and where it is 

 highly important to build up the lands in a short time. 



