The home journal. [volume] (Winchester, Tenn.) 1857-1857, 1857-02-13
Written or the Home Journal.
AN AGRICULTURAL NEWS LETTER
SALEM, Tenn, Jan. 20, 81,

Eds. Home Journal:
Did you ever see worse spell o
weather than we have had for the pas
ten or fifteen days7 hardly know
how you all get along about towr
without freezing, where wood is 81
scarce and SO high. ! had large, brigh
fires, and came very near freezing
then. But notwithstanding the cold
frozen weather the Home Journal pait
me its weekly visits, which cheered
me up so much that was led TO max,
the inquiry within myselt ofhow many
of my countrymen are blessed with
the company Of this weekly VISITOR
Thought to myself it would be a dull
business keeping house without it So
being ia company with several Of the
neighbors, you toow the subjects to be
discussed would naturally be the bad
roads and the cold, disagrccnble wealth
err, after which cnquired how many
ofthem Were taking the Home Journal
They were all just such men as YOU
might well know live in this part Of
the county, and what do you think7--
There was nut one in that respectable
crowd, except myself, who was IA sub
scrlber to the Journal. Icould then
readily account for their murmuring
and responding. suggested to them
the propriety of becoming subscribers.
to which they all, with one exception,
promised to do. would make the
same suggestion to every farmer in
this county, who is able to pay for the
paper, and then those who are not able
would occasionally get glance at its
pages, and by this means much valua-
BILE information would be communica-
ted. You should let no party spirit
keep you from doing your duty in this
matter. There is not "a farmer in this
county but what spends more money
in the course Of IA year for some trifing
amusement than the cost of the Jour-
nal. Think seriously about the mat
ter. and ere spring opens let us all be-
come readers Of the Journal, and free
ly communicate through its columns
all useful information in relation to
our pursuits. We are the very bone
and sinew ofthe country, and notwith-
standing we have, of all professions,
one that is not, in many respects, SO
pleasant as others, yet we have an as
surunce, if VIC give diligence to our
calling, we will rank as high as any
others. have thought that farmer,
fixed up on his plantation as he should
and might be, is perhaps the happiest
part of creation. | would like for any
man to tell what would make persons
more happy than to be seated around
a good fire in the long winter nights
with their children sitting around roas-
ting Eaters, whilst the old man is en-
gagged in reading out of his county
newspaper the occurrences ofinterest.
inspiring in their young minds strong
desires to learn to read, SO that they
may be able to recite the news to the
old man when his eyes fail to perform
their office.
But ! have wandered far from what
anticipated when | sat down to write.
lhad concluded, in my imagination,
that | could write something on Agri.
culture that might. probably, be OF
benefit to my farming brethren, being
one among the first inhabitants of this
county, | can bear testimony to many
things that have transpired here in the
last forty years.
Twas born in this county, have been
reared here, and in my earliest recol-
Iections this county was almost a per-
feet wilderness, with very few inhabi-
tants, who were settled from where
Winchester now stands to Beans
Creek, near Salem. Jesse Bean
from whom the Greek took its name
raised the first crop OF corn in the
county, by white man. In those days
the old pioneers killed their game, and
cultivated small patches Of corn, which
served to make their bread--not hav-
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