The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-02-13
Farmers of Hardeman. Let Us Con
slider the Grand Problem


happiness for all classes, from
the imp owed condition of the one great
leading in ere-t. Agriculture Or the
crease II the production of wealth from
imperfect and unscicntifc tillage of the
ground; the constant depreciation of
is productive capacity, and the conae-
luent distress and suffering resulting
therefrom
UNDER WHICH King BENzpNIAN p
Reader, will you lend your aid, and
give your example, in behalf of the re-
storation of our exhausted soil ? Will
you work for the improvement of the
impaired fertility of our lands, by adept
ing better, for the present deteriovating
system of cropping2 Will you aid in
placing, once again, agriculture upon
her throne2 Agriculture, the support
of the commercial, mechanical. manu>
featuring, legal, medicinal and newspa-
perial inteIe sts, and with, and through
them, the educational, moral, social and
political interests of the entire country.
Pon1er well your answer, for upon it
depends greatly more than you seem to
think-mighty interests, mOmentOus re-
suits, invoking civilization, humanity,
the veal or woe Of unborn posterity, aye,
even life itself For its decay, is the
weakening Of the great handspring that
moves and sus:ains society. Its pros
perity is the early and the latter rain :"
that feeds with plenty conteDted peo-
pie. Wealth is produced from the soil
alone. Its gifts may have value added
to them, but this in a strict sense, is
not the production of wealth, but is SIM
ply adding increased value to wealth
already produced. Although this is true
in regard to agriculture, the writer fully
recognizes the mutual dependence of
man upon his brother man, and rejoices
that it is so. The merchant, the mechan>
ic, the manufacturer, the sailor each de-
pendent upon the other; each depend
ent upon the farmer, and he in like manS
ner dependent upon each of them. But
this does not alter the fact that upon his
prosperity depends the prosperity of
each and all Upon his overthrow
follows the downfall and ruin of every
member of society. Let US uphold this
producer upon whom so much depends.
With his toiling hands he spreads we'll
filed tables for himself, and for all mons
producers three times day, that would
But is not this tiller of the soil, this pro>
wider for the present generation, this
trustee for pOsterity, himself a great
abuser of Code blessings when he ignor-
antly or carelessly impairs and destroys
the pre- duetiveness of the soil converts
the fruitful earth into a barren waste,
rendering it impossible for his successors
to extract a meager living therefrom /;
and when called upon to hand IN his
checks leaving his record upon her i'm
poyerished bosom more suggestive of
desolation and decay than the surround
ings of the pulseless dead sea from which
all living creatures fly in horror and dis
may? Are each of Us clear as to our
conscience of this grave, but silent mat
ricidal accusation? Can we with Macs
beth exc calm
Shake not thy CORY looks at nc.
Thou caR'st not say. did it."
live can tIuthfully so aver, then i'm
deed we are net improbable servants.
Bat there are other charges brought
against US. 1t is laid to our charge, that
the production of wealth, is not com.
mcnsurate with the advancement of
science, and agricultural knowledge
nor with the increasing wants of a con-
stantly augmenting population. Is it
also true, as charged, that we are ;gnor'
autly following an occupation, fraught
with the greatest good or i'll TO the hu.
man race, without understanding any oil
the principles upon which enlightened
! agriculture is based is it true that we
so cultivate the earth that instead of our
lands becoming more and more fertile ii
we are destroying the soils fertility more
and more yearly, wasting and extracting
| all plantfoOd until we shall reach the
point where vegetable and animal lif,
cannot be maintained and absolute ster-
! ility and certain ruin will be the dire
full result2 If this is true, let US en-
deavor to stop in our downward course
and repair the TIN eatened evil before i
is forever too late. Try the "singlt
rule of three upon the matter. If w
have been extracting fertility too large
ly from the soil, and returning none; i
we have taken as much as two per cen
Of fertility annually, for the last thirty
years, how long will it be until the Who'll,
one hundred per cent is taken away
from the soil? This is an ugly sum
that many farmers have lcOrked out Il
the bankruptcy of the soil, and the con
sequent abandonment of some of tn
largest farms in the county. Whilst Oh
others not totally ruined, many broa,
acres and galded spots witness the fac
that the spJier is ut work in the destruc
ton of the thin meagre soil still left t
operate upon. If these are painful facts
had we not better contemplate theI
boldly, that when We grapple with theI
We may understand, and be better abb
to overcome them2 How do our land
of 80 years cultivation compare in fertil
ty and value with those of other cour
tries Of 1000 years cultivation? Tn
population of England some IS, 000,0 0(
(in which kingdom there is very larg
non-PrOducing class, is supported on
? territory greatly less than the State {