The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-08-04
MAURY COUNTY FARMERS CLUB
Regular Meeting, July 20, I>7I.

absent, Col. ID. j.. Wade was called {,
the Chair, and Capt. X. Z. Gordon ap
pointed Secretary, pro tenn, in the alb
sence of J. II. Dew, the Secretary.
Capt Black read letter from Gen. Il
5. Ewell, inclosing five dollars, to be
paid TO the member having the bes
sample OF wheat.
On motion Of Capt. Black the Club
agreed to pay the s. and refund Gen
Ewell's five dollars.
NEW MEMBERS.
Tho following named gentlemen wer,
admitted as members L. J. Ewing, Il
l.. Lorter, w. ii. billiard, J. III. Wilkes
and Capt. A. A. Lipscomb.
WHEAT.
The following gentlemen were nomi-
mated by different members of the Club,
and elected by vote OF all the members,
to decide upon the merits of the differ
eDt specimens of wheat presented at the
suggestion of Gen. Ewell: Major Ben.
Harlan, X. l.. Porter, d. T. Chappell,
Major J. NJ. Williams and Capt. d.. w
Black. The entries of wheat were as
follows:
BY Col. d. +. Wade: No. /, Lancaster;
No. ., Light French, bearded; No. 3,
Red French, bearded.
Isaac b. White-No >, Boughton.
John w. Neelley-No. q, Boughton.
| l.. J. Ewing-No. Z, Boughton.
No. 5 took the premium, and No. 6
certificate. Nos and were taYorably
] mentioned by the Committee.
Mr.. /. b. White, who gained the prem
| Jun, made a short statement to the eff
feet that he sowed his wheat during the
last week in October, Oh rolling land,
field containing four acres, which had
been cultivated to corn fifteen years; fed
hogs on it; ploughed it in with a bull
tongue plow, which left the land very
rough; sowed 1904 pounds and reaped
$500; one bushel weighed 90 pounds.
! BLACK LocUsTs.
&C Gordon spoke of the propriety of
cultivating locust trees on rocky, sterile
land, many acres of which can be found
| on almost every farm.
GAIT. BLACK-I agree with Mr.. Cor
don. l have small orchard of locusts
now growing, and l expect to take good
care of them, and realize a considerable
profit from them. If you want to kill
locust growth, plough among them and
break the roots, or peel the bark off for
several feet above the ground, and if
necessary sprinkle salt on the raw
| places.
Col. WADE-That is Just what Mr..
| John w. Cheairs, of Spring Hill, advis>
ed me TO do, and tried it without any
effect. Locust sprouts grow all over
my place, and they are source of great
annoyance, and much time and money are
| expended in trying to keep them down
Our President, Gen. Ewell, now absent,
| thinks a good deal OF his locusts, and
| will not allow any of them to be destroy
| ed, but protects and nurtures them.
ID. L. CHAPPEL--One of my neighbors,
Mrs. West, has ten acre orchard of To-
Gusts, on a rocky hillside, for which she
has been offered one hundred dollars
per acre, or one thousand dollars tor the
ten acres. The land would be profitless
and barren without the trees. Nlanufac-
turers want the trees for wagon hubs,
etc. They also make the very best OF
rails and posts, being stronger and last
| longer than cedar.
Il. {. GORDoN-Whe | introduced
this subject, L had reference alone to
| those rocky, unproductive spots on al
most every farm. Ii will take but little
trouble to keep the locusts within
| bounds.
Col. W >pE-lf desired to confer the
greatest benefit upon the people of this
county, and could do it, | would cut
down nine-tenths of all the forest trees
| Thousands Of dollars are paid by our
farmers i'll taxes every year on timbered
land that does not yield a cents worth
of produce, wear after year 1t is very
strange with what tenacity our people
cling TO their profitless trees. They
seem to be afraid that the time will come
when they will freeze for want of fuel
in the winter. / remember with what
holy horror all OF Mr.. John w. Mayes'
nai,rbhnrS SavN him fr1tfipC, 1nu-Y, oil his
fine forests about fifteen years ago. Mr..
J. w. Mayes was fifteen years ahead
of the times. He saw a valuable truth
and profited by it in spite of the SUI
rounding preiudices and superstitions.
| know there Is nothing in nature finer
than one of our magnificent forests, but
this is an age OF utility, and if our farm
ers would cut down their timber. and
cultivate their lands, they would be
greatly benefited. There need be 10
danger OF scarcity of fuel, oven though
every tree was destroyed in the country.
The coal fields are near by, and they
will furnish at each mans door a cheap
er fuel than he now has, even though he
has trees in his woods.
SEXT QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION.
Tie Standing Commute appointed to
select questions for discussion. selected
the following question for discussion at
the next regular meeting: THE best
mode of cultivating small grain and
grass, offall growth"
ATABLE Presents.
Esq. J. III. Wilkes presented the Club
with some very fine specimens of Ives
Seeding Grapes, and the White boy
enne and another variety OF pear. At
the solicitation of the Club, through the
President, Esq. Wilkes then gave his
opinion on a subject that is now agitat-
ing and perpleXiIg the mind of fruit
growers. He had with him an appletree
limb, partly dead and partly alive, to
illustrate what he had to say. He spoke
in substance as follows on
TIE BLIGHT IN FRUIT TREES.
Mr.. Chairman: offer my limited expert
cnce to this body on blight in our fruit trees
In the hope thar, although may be mista-
ken in my conclusions, may yet advance
something that may lead Others TO "A more
Thorough investigation and better results.
MySpinion l., that the cultivation OF fine
fruits is destined at no distant day, to be- one
OF the great sources of wealth and luxury
TO the citizens Of our country. but our sue
cess in this matter depends upon our watch
fulness and attention. 1t H. almost stale 10
repeat, that fine fruit is obtained by fine cul-
tiyation, yet many of Us plant our orchards,
never cultivate them or use any efforts TO
nrOt1tL Intlil tIelf enemies. 10 make
you fully understand the position | shall
lake on the subject OF blight, j will FIRST
state some OF the established truths OF veg
etable physiology. The tree is composed OF
The roots below the ground and the stem
and branches above the ground. The big
roots with their thousand little radicals, by
instinct, tor vegetables are. endowed with
Instinct as well as animals, select such food
as suits their nature, in the form of sap,
which is carried up through the whole vas
cular system OF the old wood, into the small
est branches, thence through the little pet
iolss into all parts of the leaf, then elabera-
ted into food proper for the growth of the
tree and the production OF fruits, and in this
form 1t descsnds again, by the vessels OF the
inner bark to the roots. And to be still bet
ter understood, l will say, the bark is COM
posed of three distinct parts; the fiber, or
inner bark, the cellular tissue, and the
cuticle, or outer bark. The cutIcle, or out
er bark Is always lifeless, unfit for food, but
well suited tor good hiding places for mil
lions of small Invisible insects or parasites,
and their protection from the cold of win
ter. The cellular tissue, inner bark, and the
alburnum or outer portions of the old wood,
form the food OF these terrible depredatOrs.
am now prepared to offer you my LIST.
proposition:
the roots OF the tree. The eXtremities of the
branches first show symptoms of decay and
death. This deafness and blackneSs OF the
leaf and extremity, peculiar TO blight in all
trees, gradually descendS along the branches
and sometimes even into the stem, until the
seat of the disease Is reached, when IL sud
denly stops. Beneath this point new shoots
are pushed out all around the branch or
stem, proving, beyond all doubt, that the
roots are stiIl In fine health and performing
their proper functions. The only exception
to this rule is, when the predispOsing cause
IL in the snain stem, so near the ground, as
| to kill the whole tree outright.
md. This disease, be it what 1t may i To-
| cal, situated at different distances on the
| stem or branches, and is not the result OF
| Initiated sap produced by an imperfect elab-
| Grafton in the leaves. TO my mind il is alb
| surd to suppose, land contrary TO all analo-
| gy) that sap which has been taken up by
! the roots, and sent through the whole vas
( cular system to the extremity of the
! hranehts, apd which has even gone to the