72 



In tbe deeply gullied hill lands, where ploughing has become impracti- 

 cable, other ways must be provided against the further erosive action of 

 the water, which would otherwise be apt to wash out and uproot the 

 plants. For this purpose it is neoessary to break the foroe of the water 

 by constructing brush dams across the gullies, and roughly fill in the 

 latter with stone, gravel, earth, etc., in front and rear if they are shallow 

 and at least in the rear if they are deeper. Where the ravines are espe- 

 cially deep and wide it may become necessary to supplement and 

 strengthen the rough dam with a loose rubble embankment or a dry 

 wall of stone. A simple and efficient method has been practis?d in 

 France, which oonsists in filling up the ravine with brush placed 

 lengthwise and keeping this down by p^les laid across and fastened in 

 the sides of the ravine. The waters are thus allowed to drain off, while 

 the soil carried by them is retained in and over the brush, and in a 

 short time the gulley will fill up of its own accord. Then alders and 

 willows are planted along the edge and soon finish the work of securing 

 the ravine against washing. The means for thus breaking the foroe of 

 the water in the gullies and changing it from a rushing torrent into a 

 series of gentle falls, and in part from surface drainage into subterranean 

 drainage, and of filling up. the gullies themselves will have to be de- 

 vised in every special case as circumstances permit and the ingenuity 

 of the operator suggests The brush dam is preferably made of 

 readily sprouting material, which becomes alive and by striking root 

 adds to the firmness of the dam. 



It is especially needful, as in all kinds of dams, to fasten the ends 

 scarcely. According to the steepness, depth, and width of the ravine 

 more or less frequent dams are necessary. After the brush dams, 

 walls and other breastworks have been established, the waters may be 

 allowed to do the work of filling up the gullies themselves, which they 

 will do sooner or later, or else, where it can be readily accomplished, 

 the filling may be done by hand. 



It may be understood that unless this preliminary work is well done 

 and systematically, beginning at the very tops of the hills where the 

 waters start, it is not worth doing at all, since the water if allowed to 

 get headway would soon wash away and destroy any imperfeot work. 



PLANTING. 



To cover the soil as quickly as possible with a dense and permanent 

 arborescent cover is the object to be attained Where the soil has not 

 been so far eroded that p'oughing could be done, it might be best for the 

 first season to sow field peas, or other crops that will readily grow 

 and make a cover. This may be cut for green fodder, leaving a high 

 stubble, and tree seed can be sown broadcast with the fodder crop 

 in the early summer, or over the stubble after the crop is cut in the 

 late summer and fall. The cheapest and most readily germinating tree 

 seed should be looked for and the quantity used per acre should be 

 lavish to secure a dense staud from the first. 



Where the ground is too much cut up and too uneven to permit of 

 ploughing, recourse must be had to sowing of seed in plats, or planting 

 of seedlings or cuttings by hand. This is naturally much more ex- 

 pensive, and therefore should be done with greater care and foresight. 

 Plats may be made by loosening the soil with a hoe or spade, and sow- 

 ing the seed into these seed beds covering the seed only slightly. The 



