Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-02-07
The Importance of Agriculture and of Fairs

"Charlton and his Fair hobby.r
No one who knows Mr.. Charlton will
doubt his ability to successfully ride hob
by. He possesses all the enthusiasm that
is consistent with clear-headedness.
Whatever he is for, he is for that, believes
in it--all overhead, heart, hands, coat,
boots-all to the smallest button. He is
thoroughly and terribly, in earnest. He
snaps his finger at difficulties that would
discourage other men, and goes in for the
"spoon A." regardless of the danger of "spoil-
ing the horn" And well too. Horns don't
spoil easily in such mems hands. And, be-
sides, there seems to be a special Provi-
dence that hedges in good hobby riders
and somnambulists that prevents disas-
Judge of the genus hobby, to mount any
but thoroughbred. You will never find
him wasting his energy in the vain at
tempt to carry Off the cup on broken
winded, spawned hack-not he. When
he vaults to the saddle, he knows the capa.
bilities of his steed, and is not distrustful
of his own-hence he rides with conf
dence that fOretells success and fultills its
prediction. His present hobby is no dis
arrangement of his judgment. The agri-
cultural interests of people are funda-
mental and vital. On them hang
every other interest of society.
No country can flourish when
these interests do not receive marked at
tention-nO society can reach its higher
possibilities where agriculture is not the
chief interest. This is the base of bases.
AS we'll try to stand a cone upon its apex,
as to make any other interest the basal
one. The time was when ii required very
little information or thought to farm sue
cessfully. A virgin soil enriched 10y the
debris Of ages needed but slight attention
to load ones barns with plenty. Not so
now. The time has come when age must
be bolstered by the hand of scientific
knowledge, or reap the reward of dissipat-
ed youth Our exhausted soil demands
imperiously the service of modern science.
Our agricultural population must be made
to leave old ruts, and know and appreciate
the appliances of modern philOsophic
thought and scientific energy. To do this,
the Fair is of most promise. While
this stimulates to higher effort by the
natural spirit of emulation, it also utilities
and makes common to the masses the SUI
perior intelligence of the few. The eXhi-
bition of superior products naturally leads
to the discussion of the superior methods
by which they were produced, and equally
natural to desire to try the same meth
DDS, or improve them, in order to rival or
improve upon their results. The fair also
raise strong esprit du corps
among our agriculturists, which gives
strong desire to excel other States in the
variety, quality and excellence of their
productions. These are but some of the
great results to be accomplished by the
"Fair." Yet, are they not sufficient to
show its great, nay its vital importance to
the intrests of our section? Surely Mr..
Charlton, then, need not be ashamed of his
hobby. And more, we should, in every
possible way, cheer him in his riding.
Every class in society should be fully alive
to the importance of this matter and
come Harvard promptly with material aid.
No doctor, lawyer or merchant can pos
sible make a better investment for him.
self or his children, than by such contri-
buttons of time or money to Mr. Charl-
tons aid, as will insure success, Knox
vile, especially, is, above all, interested.
As our chief commercial center, she must,
Of course, get the lions share of any in
creased productions of our soil. 1t will
build her railroads, run her factories, sup
port her merchants, lawyers and doctors,
increase her population and general bust
ness interests in short, make her speed
lily the city which is her manifest destiny.
Success, then, to Charlton and his
hobby" s. N L.