The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1872-04-05
Jlte Marietta sonrnal.
Marietta, Georgia, April s, 1872.
COBB COUNTY AGRICULTURAL
ASSOCIATION.
SPEECH OF GEN co1ou1TT.

AT meeting of the Cobb County
Agricultural Association held in
Nichols Hall, March 10Th, 1872,
Gen. Colquitt, being introduced to
the audience spoke in substance! as
follows:
Gentlemen Of the Association: l
am gratifed to meet you on this oc-
casion and will tell you at the out
set, that | have come to you with no
prepared discourse. A farmer my
self, | know the habits of farmers,
and | know their dislike to all
speeches dealing in technical terms
and scientific distractions. | meet
you to talk as one farmer to another
and | desire to PROFOUND to you those
great and practical questions that lie
at the foundation of the prosperity
of our State. Farmers of Georgia,
what are we doing 7 what have we
accomplished in the past9 what are
we preparing to do in the future 7
| am glad that you have an Ag-
ricultural Society. Fam should
frequently meet in council. | know
something of these meetings in coun-
ell, have met them in the council
room. Why should farmers not
meet and organized There are reas-
ons for organization in every depart
ment of business, but the general
impression is that farmers had bet
ter let those things alone. People
smile and sneer at the usefulness of
Agricultural Societies and associa-
tons and even farmers themselves
share in this feeling. They laugh at
the results ard say that it all ends
in gas and talk. That it is called a
farmers society and all the speaking
is done by lawyers and professional
men. These men do talk a good
deal and we are always glad to have
them. There are various questions
to be discussed and we need all the
information we can get. Who can
estimate the amount of knowledge
we obtain from conversation and the
interchange of thought ? What
other means have we of obtaining
knowledge that can equal this ?
Doubtless there are other sources
and | would not undervalue them.
We can turn to those grand reposi
taries of the thoughts of past ages
that grace the shelves of our libra
ries and derive measureless benefits
from their perusal. Books! who
would decry them, but in the busy
whirl of the farmers life, who takes
time to read them p? But these con-
ventions being farmers face to face
they compare experiences and re-
suits they ask questions and each
one gets the benefit of the others
knowledge. But we are asked to
point out some of the actual good
rec ats from these meetings, We
are not able to point to any specific
results, but we can say that interest
is being awakened Throughout the
State and that the results clearly
mark out those counties in which |
these societies exist. Every farmer
ought to join one of these associa
tions. Meet with your friends and
and if you can't help them
with your advice, at LEAST encour-
age them with your presence. |
tell you, farmers don't make them
selves felt on account of want of or
ganization. Much is being done for
every other interest and nothing for
farmers. | went before the Legis-
lature once and asked for an appro-
priation due the State Society un-
der laws passed by previous Leg
isIature, | did not ask for the full
amount as frauds in different de-
partments had SO injured our fnan-
cial condition, | did not meet with
any decided hostility, but increduli-
ty as to any good results and indif-
ference were plainly expressed
They can spend large amounts to
encoura &c other industries, but talk
to them about farming and they are
deaf as adders and harmless as mice.
This want of interest, this failure to
the vast importance of
our agricultural interests, is caused
by the failure of farmers to organ
ize to make themselves felt.
Some of those who oppose these
associations, say, 1--WE had better
work like our fathers" Well | am
on that line myself. Work as your
fathers did and you will make your
selN es felt.
Why are your sons leaving your
farms ? Why are they wandering
through our towns and villages look
ing for more profitable employment 7
You say that it is question of prof
it. You work year after year and
come out with empty pockets and
you don't want your sons to engage
in any business where they have to
work for nothing. Your sons can
tell you better than that they know
the true reasons. | don't know how
it is with farmers in Cobb, but | do
know how it is. in others Counties
How is it about your farms : Do