Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-09-17
Farmers Picnic near Louisville, BlOHnt
County.

On the 9th inst, the farmers of BlOunt
county met in the beautiful grove at Hol-
ston College, a few miles west OF Louisville,
partly to listen to on address by that earn
est worker in agricultural reform, Col. {,
w. Charlton.
At II A. NJ, the company, to the number
of 400 persons were called 10 order and the
Colonel introduced. He prefaced his in
teresting address of two hours, which was
listened TO with unwearied attention by
the intelligent audience, by beautiful
tribute of sympathy and regard to woman,
too often exposed to drudgery and hard la
Dor unsuited to her delicate organization.
AllusioD was made to Hesiod, Virgil and
others of former ages, whose writings had
stimulated their fellow countrymen to re-
newed labor upon their farms. Henry
Clay and Daniel Webster were cited as in
stances of devotion TO rural life and pur-
suits even in the pressure Of public bust
ness.
The speaker, in his usual forcible style,
dwelt upon five important points, viz LIST,
An exhausted soil. I'd, Want OF energy.
Sd, A Disconnected population. Attn, Young
men skulking work. 5th,. Want Of organi-
cation.
Thirty years ago he had entered Tonnes
see and thought it a beautiful country, con-
tanning the richest lands. Now the soil is
butchered by shallow plOughing from %
w D llClitS hctD anu Tie Iltu suDoOil 10
never reached. To the latter alone must
We look for the redemption of this State.
1t is an alarming fact that farms here have
deprecated in value from 20 to 90 per
cent within the last ter years. There
is more life and energy in Kansas
than in Tennessee. She 10 ahead OF US in
schools, colleges and agricul ure.
A railroad agent had informed Colonel
Charlton that, within eight months, he
had sold 900 tickets TO farmers and others
leaving East Tennessee, and he had no
doubt that within the same time 5000 per.
sons had left. This fact had 80 impressed
Governor Brown that, in his message to
the Legislature, he had All vised the passage
OF bill to stop this emigration, or the
State would he depopulateu in twenty-five
or thirty years.
M9ny good anecdotes were narrated Il
show that the attractions of city life anC
temptation of making money, quickly
without much labor, draw AVA many
young man from farm labor often Leaving
the parents to strug, lie on unaded in thei
advancing years. The homestead shout,
be made attractive, decorated with grass
shrubbery, vines, flowers, DC, eViuciui
woman's hand and taste. Let there be III
greatest amount of social pleasure in which
the charms of song should ever mingle
From such home, filled with all the en-
dearments Of the family circle, and envi
roned with the beauties Of nature, embel
lished by the hand of man, il would in
deed be hard TO drive young man.
II is seldom that college students, afte
graduating, return TO work upon the farm
Agricultural studies should be engralte
upon the common school system.
There is as Yet, ia this Stat
no organization of farmers. Clubs al
are inefficient for the purpose deslgnatr
compared with that of the Pa rOI
OF Husbandy, an associa ion Ongina NJ
the necessity of zelf-protectinn from raj
road MONOPOLY and exOrbitant rates
freight. The Order has made astonishir