306 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
operator should first take a general view of the field and 
get as well in his mind as possible the variations of the 
hills and the common undulations of the land, and then 
approach the highest point and examine round the hill- 
from 30 to 75 yards, in proportion to the fall, to find out 
where the- first collection of water will take place. This 
you can judge of by the breaks or undulations of the sur- 
face. Having determined that point, you of course will 
start your ditch a few yards below that point, sufficiently 
near to catch the water before mischief can be done the 
land. You next determine to which side of the field you 
will carry the water; and and that done, you place the 
level with the end that has the grade block on it in that 
direction and continue to move one or the other end up or 
dowp the hill until the air bubble stands in the centre of 
the tube ; you, then, have a grade precisely the thickness 
of the block ; for the level being perfect before the block 
was put on and the block now being on, and the air bub 
ble standing in the centre, shows conclusively that the 
land on which the block stands is just the thickness of 
the block lower than the other foot of the level. You 
then direct your boy to dig a small hole just in front of 
the forward end of the level as a sign to show where the 
level stood. The level is then moved forward in either di- 
rection that you may please to go and the hinder foot is 
carefully placed where the front one stood, and you look 
to the air bubble in the tube to see if it is right, if not, you 
move the forward end up or down, as may be necessary, 
until the bubble stands at the centre, when you order your 
boy to dig, and move on as before until you gain the end. 
You then return to the beginning place and run as before, 
taking care not to turn your level round unless you should 
want to change the direction of the water and throw one- 
half of it one side and the other half at the other, which I 
invariably do ifit is practicable. Just here, I will remark 
that all new beginners are apt to select some point at 
which they want to discharge the water of the ditch, and 
are apt to force the level up or down, as the case may be, 
to gain that point. This is wrong. The level should be 
allowed to select its own point, after you start, which it 
will always d o better than the operator, if properly managed . 
Again by forcing the level, sometimes up and then down 
in the same ditch in order to gain points to suit the views 
of the operator mischief is apt to accrue when heavy falls 
of rain have to be encountered, by water passing faster 
wheto the grade is increased than where it is decreased, 
so that the water in the parts of the ditch where it moves 
slowest, is crowded on by the water from that part where 
it has more grade and moves faster, and thereby endang- 
ers the ditch. Once broke— and mischief ensues to the 
land below ; hence it is important that the grade should be 
kept as perfect as possible. 
Again, some operators are so tenacious of the coming 
out point, or the point where they want to empty their 
ditch, that they frequently make that the starting point, 
and they about as frequently have a ditch where it does 
no good. The first ditch having been laid out, you move 
down the hill from 50 to 100 yards, regulating the distance 
agreeably to the fall of the land and the probable chance 
for water to collect so as to wash the land, and there se- 
lect another starting point as in the first case, and run as 
before. Thus you continue on until the field is finished. 
It may not be amiss to remark that more depends on the 
judgment of the operator in the starting point for his ditch 
ihan anything else ; for if you start at the proper place 
and manage the level properly, the balance will be sure to 
be right In selecting the starting point, the only guide 
is your judgment, and when you find a place that you 
fsel satisfied water will collect and wash the land below, 
be sure to make that a starting point — or rather a few 
yards below, and throw your water in whatever direction 
may best suit the circumstances of the case. 
The next thing to be considered is the opening of the 
ditches and the implements necessary for doing it. The 
first thing needed is a scooter plow, norse and boy, and 
as many hands with weeding hoes as you may think- 
necessary or proper to operate with. You will start ahead 
of the horse, directing the plowman to follov.’- you, taking 
care to follow carefully the chops in all their meanderings, 
directing the plowman to do the same. This is important 
that your grade may be kept perfect Three furrows are 
run with the plow, the two last on the upper side of the 
first, and just near enough to break the ground into each 
other. The hands with their hoes then scrape out the dirt 
on the lower side. On soft land this is sometimes suf- 
ficient, where the land lies pretty well ; but usually, I run 
three or four more furrows in the bottom, not so deep, 
however, as the first and take that dirt out. In the last 
operation, I usually put behind a hand of the best judg- 
ment, to finish off the ditch, preferring to have the ditch 
rather wide than deep, concave in the bottom, with the 
deepest part nearest the upper side, so that the weight of 
water will not be against the embankment made by the 
dirt taken out of the ditch. That part of the ditch occupied 
by the water is usually about 2 feet wide and 6 to 10 
inches below the common surface of the ground ; but to 
take a level from the embankment below is from 16 to 20 
inches to the bottom. In middle Georgia it is not unfre- 
quent that the operator comes in contact with gullies — 
they are, however, very easily overcome. The gully must 
be first filled up with rock, pine bushes or poles even with 
the bottom of the ditch and sufficiently up and down the 
gully as to go well above the ditch, and well below under 
the embankment. This being done, the whole should be 
covered with dirt, and then the embankment raised below 
the ditch by digging dirt from above and on the side of the 
gully that the water goes off on, until it is sufficiently 
high. It would be well to protect this part of the embank- 
ment by placing stones in it if you have them convenienfi 
Thus the operator may go on until the ditches of the field 
are completed. Should stumps or trees be in the way of 
the ditch, it is best to take them up ; but if the operator is 
careful he may pass them while running the ditch, by fore 
ing the level below so as to pass without injury. Opera- 
tors will find the land in better order to ditch or level, after 
stubble than other crop, as the surface is smoother. 
The next thing is to level the field, or rather lay off the 
rows horizontally or on a level. To do this, the operator 
will detach his grade block, and with his level and boy, 
return to the highest point of the field. Within a few 
yards of the apex or highest part, at either side or in the 
middle, I usually take the middle as I can better judge of 
the land each way — start your level, having the boy to 
dig the holes as before at each set of the level. If you be- 
gin in the middle of thefield, you must return to the begin- 
ning place and run the other end out. That row being 
done you move off from the row 20 to 50 yards, being 
governed in the distance by the fall of the land : if very 
abrupt, the distance should be less but if a very gentle 
declivity it may be increased. Thus you may continue 
on until thefield is all laid off. In laying off those rows 
which are technically called “guide rows,” no attention 
is paid to the ditches ; whenever you approach one, cross 
it as ifit was not there. A guide furrow or two being 
laid off, you may start your plows to bedding, and both 
operations may go on at the same time. Having a few 
guide furrows run off as above referred to, you will start 
on the chops of the first row, followed by your principal 
plowman, and thus run out three or four of the guide rows. 
The plowman then returns to the upper side of the first 
guide row, and wiih a reed or small stick in his hand as 
long as the width of your rows, and proceedsto run paraJ 
le! thereto, regulating the width by the stick which I>e 
will very soon do with great accuracy. Thus he con- 
