SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
305 
That I may the more fully explain the system on which 
I am about to write, and the more readily be understood 
by you and others who may be desirous of information 
on the important subject of graded h’11 side ditches and 
the horizontal culture, I will begin with the A B C of the 
method of operation. 
The first thing, then, is the con'^truction and descrip- 
tion of an instrument absolutely necessary to lay off the 
work correctly — the opinion of many that they can lay 
off SIS go.td a ditch or run as level a row, by the eye to the 
contrary notwithstanding. Take two strips of plank, 1 
inch thick, 3 wide, and 8 feet long; put them together at 
one end by letting them into each other at such angle as 
that the other ends will be just 12 feet apart from outside 
to outside. Take two other strips of the same width and 
thickness and of sufficient length, and let the end of one 
into the side piece one-third from the top or crown, and 
the other end one-third from the foot of the opposite or 
other side piece. The other piece must be let in the same 
way from the opposite side piece, which will cause them 
to cross each other, where they must be let into each 
other — the whole put together with inch screws, firmly. 
Then draw a line from the outer corner of the foot of the 
other, mark and saw off. This will make the instrument flat 
on its feet when raised upon them. It would be well to put 
on to the side pieces at each foot, a strip one inch thick 
and as long as the foot is wide and even with the bottom, 
to keep the instrument fiom sinking in the ground where 
it is soft. The instrument now being complete — all but 
having the level and grade block attached to it — should 
have two good coats of paint to protect the wood from the 
influence of the weather. Then procure a carpenter’s 
spirit level, such as they use in leveling sills and plumb- 
ing walls. Attach one end of it to the cross piece by 
means of a screw; then place 3 rour instrument on the 
ground so nearly level as you can judge by the eye, bring 
the other end of the level on the other cross-bar, up or 
down until the vacuum or air bubble in the tube stands 
in the middle or centre. Then firmly grip the level to the 
cross-bar with the hand, or a hand vice which is better, 
carefully mark the feet of your instrument and change the 
ends, being careful to put the feet precisely on the same 
ground they stood on before. If the air bubble in the tube 
stands at the same place you be certain of having a perfect 
level. Should you not have the true level — and it would 
be an accident if you did — you will move the end of the 
instrument on higher or lower ground, as may be in- 
dicated by the bubble, until the vacuum or air bubble in 
the tube stands one half the distance between the true level 
point and the point that it occupied after the feet were first 
reversed; thus you will continue to change until the air 
bubble in the tube will stand at the same point with the 
ends reversed, when you may be sure of having the true 
level. Then firmly secure the end by means of a screw 
as in the case of the other end. A better plan for attach- 
ing the level to the instrument is by a box, that will just 
receive the level, and attach the box just as I have direct- 
ed for the level, with the level in it, because you can more 
conveniently take out the level for other purposes, than to 
unscrew it from the cross-bars, by having a hole in the 
bottom of the box through which you can raise it out 
with your finger. 
Having got the true level, it is now necessary to get the 
grade for your ditches. To do this, you will take a block 
just as broad and long as ffie foot ot your instrument, 
and as thick as >ou want your grade in 12 feet — say 3, 
4, 5, or even 6 inches, if you want your water to run so 
fast as to keep out of the way of that which is corning on 
nehind — and attach it to a strip of the same width and 
thickness of the side piece, and some 12 inches long, at 
such angle to the block as will make the strip thus attach- 
ed to the block run up and be ever, with the top and bot- 
tun edge of the side piece when the block is placed under 
the foot of the instrument. This strip with the block at- 
tached should be firmly screwed on to the side piece, and 
you have a farmer’s level, ready graded for running your 
ditches. This minute description of the farmer’s level I 
deemed necessary as many are using very clums]/ instru- 
ments, with plumb-balls, very incorrect, especially in 
windy weather, and as one-third more woi’k can be done 
with the one than the other, and with double the ease to 
the operator. 
The instrument or level as I shall now call it, being 
ready all but setting on the proper grade, brings up 
that question on which there is such a diversity of 
opinion varying from 3 to 6 inches in 12 feet. In the 
discussion of this point, I take this position as incontro- 
vertible; that the true grade is one that will bear off the 
water without breaking over the ditch or washing it any 
deeper. For if the grade is so great the ditch continues to 
wash deeper by every heavy rain, it will have soon have to 
be considered a gully, and treated accordingly. By this 
rule every one can determine the proper grade for him- 
self 
More than ten years experience has confirmed me in 
the opinion that the grade that l.give to my ditches is the 
true one, and that a material departure either wa]^ will 
prove mischievous. Slight variations either way will 
make very little perceptible diffeience. It is safer, how- 
ever, to depart slightly on the side of a greater grade than 
on the side of too little. Because, in the one case your 
ditch being incapable of carrying off the water, must 
break over, while in the other case, the mischief that ac- 
crues is only the washing of your ditch. A very good 
and substantial reason why the grade should be no more 
than sufficient to bear off the water is, that the less the 
declension or grade of your ditch to answer the purpose 
for which you intend it, the better it will encircle the hill, 
and thereby protect more of the land which it was design- 
ed to do. In other words, suppose you have a ditch to 
rim 300 yards long, it will take 75 strides of your level to 
run it; and by calculation, you will find that the mouth, 
of your ditch will be just )8 feet and 9-12 lower than the 
beginning point. But again suppose by way of experi- 
ment that you change your grade from 3 to 6 inches and 
go to the same starting point and go the same distance 
300 yards; by cah’ulation, you will find that the mouth of 
the ditch will be 37 feet, and 6-12 below the starting point. 
This difference in the grade of your ditches, if the grade 
of your land was only moderate, might make the mouths 
of the ditches, as above spoken of, from 50 to 150 yards 
apart, from which you will readily perceive, if you should 
select 6 inches as your grade, that all the land between the 
points where those two ditches would run would be un- 
protected, supposing that to be the first ditch, and nearest 
the top of the hill. I will now, sir, leave this branch of 
the subject with you, to judge whether I have sustained 
myself in the position set out with. 
The grade given to my ditches is 3 inches in 12 feet on 
porous soils that absorb water freely, and 31 to stiff argil- 
laceous soils that absorb water less freely — SlandSsI 
would put down as the very highest point. I have one 
field 31, and I find that those ditches wash deeper, but 
it would take several years for that grade so to deepen the 
ditch as to make it mischievous. I have found that the 
grade given to my ditches succeeds well when other 
things are done as they should be, of which I am hereafter 
to speak. 
Having gone tlirough with the question of grade, and 
given the one used by mysel.f, the u.se of the level is next 
in order. The level being ready, v/ith the grade block 
screwed on the thickness you intend to have your grade, 
you will take it to the field intended to be ditched, accom- 
1 panied by a small bey with a hoe suited to his size. The 
