Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-08-03
FARM AND GARDEN.
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Agricultural Geology OF Middle Ten.

Agricultural Geology OF Middle Ten
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The following speech BY DR.. f. H.
Gordon at New Middleton, July 81, 1871,
has been sent to the UNION AND AMRRr.
CAN for publication, by order of the Smith
County Agricultural Club, before which
it was delivered: g ssoE
GRNTLRsKN-By resolution of our little
Club, have been requested to come here
to-day and talk with my old neighbors
about agriculture. That subject has for
many years interested me more than any
other, as most of you know; and if 1 can
benefit any one here by talking on that
subject, am ready to do so. l wish
knew enough about it to benefit you all;
wish could say some things which
would improve every farm in the 1untry
and make all farmers more prosperous.
/ would do it joyfully, for neither money,
thanks nor applause; I want no such re-
wards for what little l have done or can
do for the advancement of our agricul-
ture; owe it to this community, and
shall not live long enough to pay them
ali that l owe them in that respect.
But what shall talk about to-day?
Ask me any question you please, and
will explain as well as can. You will
not disturb me by asking questions. You
are aware that have been writing ar
ticles for several months which have been
published in the Nashville UNION AND
AMERICAN, upon the natural fertility and
productive powers of Middle Tennessee.
/ have there shown that we have great
country; and that this rocky and billy
portion is the best part of this great coun-
try. We must study our fine soil and
climate, and adapt our labors to natures
bounties offered US. / need not repeat to
you what have written. You know the
capabilities of these hills. You know
that every farmer among US, who has
earnestly devoted his energies to the i'm
provement Of his farm and the culture of
the grasses, has succeeded greatly in both.
You See their prosperity, their enriched
fields and their luxuriant grasses. You
need no other proof. But there are some
facts which every one does not see.
They are of this sort. Every farmer who
has been long improving his land and
making grass, knows now that he could
have made more profit, enriched his fields
faster and made better grass if he had all
the time acted completely up to the sys-
TEN which he now understands. He
knows that his success is in exact proper
ton to his good management; and that, by
good management, he can make as rich
pastures here as can be made anywhere.
But with all this knowledge, and these
facts before you, why are all our hills and
woodlands around here, still not covered
with luxurisnt blue grass9 Why is it
that more than half of all this fine soil is
stin producing nothing and doing no
good2 Why are so many of our fields
wearing out and washing awayl Can
you tell2 We all want our lands in grass,
and we all want our fields made rich and
preserved from washing; then why have
we not all done these thingl Every
Kentuckian from the Blue Grass region,
who comes here and sees the country,
asks these questions. Now the reason
all studied too little about farming. We
have worked more than we have thought
We have worked enough to accomplish
all these desired ends, but we have thought
and studied too little. FIVE had twenty
five years ago, formed ourselves into little
Agricultural Clubs all over this country,
aud the members of each little club had
been meeting together dozen days every
year, and talking about their farm manage
menI, this whole country would, before
now, have been covered with rich blue
grass, and our fields would have been
highly productive and free from barren
spots and gullies. There is industry,
there is good sense enough among our
farmers, to make this section the finest
and most productive, and themselves the
most independent and wealthy commu-
nifty. If they will now use that good
sense in teaching one another, and learn
ing each from his neighbors, this whole
hill country will soon be changed into
beautiful and prosperous region. The
clubs ought 10 be small. From six to
ten members are enough. Large clubs
will talk too much nonsense and think too
little, and too many will fail to attend the
meetings. No one ought to Join club
unless he is resolved to attend the meet
ings closely, to learn all he can, and tell
all he knows that will be useful to othera.
If half q dozen farmers shall put their
heads together anywhere, and reason to-
gether continually, they will improve in
farming much faster than if they think
and act separately. Small clubs need no
treasurer. 1t ought to cost man moth
ing to be member. And the members
of every club ought to attend the meet
iDgs of other clubs when convenient, and
the doors of all clubs ought to be ever
open TO all farmers who may visit them.
Thus the whole community may act to-
gether in the study of agriculture. Thus
you viii make these hills delightful and
prosperous region.
1t has been suggested thst shall talk
about a rotation of crops, and the most
advantageous divisions of the whole
tract. No subject requires more thought
than this. No farmer will succeed well,
without much thinking on 1t. l will first
give what a committee of practical
farmers, belonging to our little club have
reported on it. II is judicious and excel
lent as far as it gees. They tell Us that
all woods land and grounds not cultiva-
ted in field crops, should be sowed in
blue grass and timothy, and divided by
cross fences into several lots. That no
spot of cleared land should be plowed
and cultivated in farm crops, more than
one year out of five. This divides the
cleared land into five fields. In the rota-
tion of crops, the farmer begins with his
richest field No. l, ard cultivates lit in
corn the first year. In the fall he sows
wheat or rye in this field. And in Janu-
airy following he sows it with timothy
and clover. The second year of the 70,
tation, the farmer will raise corn in the
field No. 2, and afterwards SOW in small
grain, timothy and clover, like No. l.
This be viii continue till he has run the
whole five fields in corn and sowed them
down to grass. Then the sixth year he
will plow up No. l, cultivate it in corn,
then SOW small grain and grass as before,
and thus for the five years following he
goes the round of all his fields, Just as in
the first five years of rotation. Every
field will make crop of small grain the
second year after corn, and every field
will be three years out of the five in
meadow or pasture. The farmer may
always NOW for hay the most luxuriant
fields, and grsze the rest. Aud he should