Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-07-12
Bowen was released.
strawberry Plains Farmers Club.


The Strawberry Plains Farmers Club
met in accordance with previous appoint
ment the President A. X. Meek Sr pre-
siding. The question as to the best mode
of cultivating corn being introd uced.
Mr.. J. NJ. Luttrell thought that deep
ploughing in the early fall, and subject
ing the ground thus ploughed to the win
ter freezing, WAS the best manner of pre-
pairing the ground for corn, and thorough
level cultivation with the harrow and
shovel pillow, the best manner of cultiva-
ton.
Mr.. Luttrell also thought our standard
of success in farming entirely too low-we
should cultivate q less number of acres,
and endeavor to increase the yield per acre.
Mr.. J. G. Douglass thought that putting q
hill to the corn with the hoe, and thorough
tillage with the coulter and shovel pillow
the best mode ofcultivating corn.
Mr.. John M. Meek thought as farmers
we were miserably and wOefully behind
the times on the subject of plows and
ploughing; as well also on the subject of
feeding, improving and taking care of
stock We should obtain better plows and
especially plows that will ''shed the dirt "
to use common farm expression because
pillow that will not shed or seour itself,
will not plough at all, and again, there is
not one man, farmer or otherwise, ina doZ-
en- who is number one ploughnan, who
knows just what to do to make his pillow
do good work. ID .. ......
The President of the Club, gave it as the
result of fifty years experience on the
farm, that the success of the farmer in any
crop depended on the depth of his plough
ing that deep ploughing was the surest
way of keeping up the land and securing
large returns. goo ...,iF.lH
The cultivation of wheat was introduced
Mr.. ID. II. Meek thought this was not a
wheat growing country, but believed that
the Lancaster wheat was better adapted to
our latitude than any other variety he had
tried.
The discussion having assumed rather a
promiscuousc character. ALI the members
of the Club agreed in this one thing, that
we should SOW more grass and clover seed
and especially orchard grass, and intro
duce improved breeds of sheep, cattle,
hogs and horses on our farms. We want
to adopt new and improved ideas and inn
plements of agriculture, to learn more of
the character and capacity of our soil. We
want more educated farmers, and more
book farming. We want to ignore this fos-
silized idea that educated farmers and book
farming are useful. We want to see more
farmers in our national and State halls of
legislation and make the farmer feel that
his interest overreaches and overtops all
other interest combined, when the ques-
ton OF CIVILIZATION ana cnrlStlhnlly are con-
sidered, and that navies, armies, banks,
railroads and all manufacturing corpora
tions are the parasitic outgrowth agricul-
ture ..
Now, Mr.. Editor. L have given you
condensed report of the proceedings OF our
Club at this place, because the CHRoNIcLE
is the only paper published in the State
that is in full sympathy with the farmers
and laboring masses of our State. While
we hear nothing from the middle and
western portions of the State but croaking,
old fOgyism and KukluX, we have the
clarion notes of the CHRONICLE ringing
| out over the mountains and valleys OF East
Tennessee, awakening the energies and
hopes of the people, and urging them on 10
| glorious success in the development oil
our hidden sources of wealth, prosperity
and power.
conclusion, Mr.. Editor, our Club meets
the irst Saturday in every month, anC
strangers seeking 20 locate in our mids
might find something to interest them 10y
stopping in at our meetings.
Respectfully, &C.,
JOHN NJ. MREK,
c, =. Strawberry Plains +. {.