36 



BULLETIN 512, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



15 to 20 feet in width. Then, commencing at the center again, the 

 strip is plowed in the same manner as before. This procedure is 

 repeated until the terrace has reached the desired height. Many 

 farmers allow the loose earth to be settled by a rain between plo wings 

 so that the dirt will turn better. However, it is safer to build the 

 terrace to the desired height at the start for, if a heavy rain, sufficient 

 to overtop the terrace, comes between plowings, much of the original 

 work is undone and considerable damage occurs from erosion. A 

 disk plow can be used successfully to throw up loose dirt, and the 

 ordinaiy road grader is employed often and is adapted especially 

 to such work. 



The most commonly used and cheapest implement for throwing 

 up a terrace is a wooden, V-shaped drag. Plate VI, figure 2, and 

 Plate VII, figure 1, show two terrace drags that have been used 

 satisfactorily. Figure 17 shows a terrace drag with dimensions. 



Z"'</l"'c8' 



Fig. 17. — A terrace drag. 



After the first three or four furrows have been plowed on each side 

 of the center line of the terrace, the drag is used to push the loose 

 earth toward the center and thus build the terrace higher. The 

 plowing is resumed and the drag used again, and this is done 

 i-epeatedly until the terrace has attained the desired width. If the 

 terrace is not built sufficiently high the first time, the work is started 

 again at the center and the plowing and dragging are repeated. The 

 longer side of the drag is hinged so that for the first few furrows 

 the hinged portion is allowed to swing loose. As the terrace increases 

 in width, and it is desired to move the loose earth a greater dis- 

 tance, the removable brace is set in position and the hinged portion 

 is brought into use. The short side of the drag is made to follow the 

 o]')en furrow; this holds the drag in the proper position. The piece 

 to which the hitch is made should be set at a vertical angle with 

 the shorter side, as shown in figure 17, and also at a horizontal 

 angle, as shown in Plate VII, figure 1. The former tends to keep 

 the short side parallel with the bottom of the furroAV and the latter 



