Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-04-15
LETTER FROM ASHLAND CITY.

EDITORS CHRONICLE :-Excuse ms
for the present from the account d
the law suit as promised in my last
and I viii write about something else
The weather for the last week has
been SO favorable for farming that my
pen takes an inclination of the mind
and what write will in the main be
about farming and farm products
After continued season of unpropi-
tious farming weather, the past and
present fine spell has stimulated the
farmers into uncommon activity
Early and late they are seen turning
over the soil and making various other
preparations for the coming crop ]
have heard Of no corn being planted
yet, though many are ready, but rather
fear another cold snap, such as we had
last spring, and prefer to wait until the
ground gets warmer. I hear some
complaints of the frost and freeze
having killed tobacco plants in some
localities, but usually the farmers
took the precaution of resolving their
beds, so that the probabilities are that
we will have an abundance of plants
though possibly many of them may be
late. | suppose more tobacco seed
have been sown in this county this
spring than ever was before. Tn the
Davidson fraction Of the county to-
bacco culture is rather new industry,
very few ever having engaged in ii
until Messrs. Lenox & Edwards es-
tablished a tobacco house at this
place. The tobacco crop of 1875 was
the largest ever grown in our county,
estimated by Mr.. Edwards, of the
firm of Lenox and Edwards, at Co.,
600 pounds, and sold at an average
price of $500 per hundred, thus bring
ing into the county $46, 900, making no
ineonsiderable sum in as small county
as ours, particularly when we consider
that about one-third of this amount is
realized from an industry compare
lively unknown few years ago. Our
corn and wheat crops were also larger
last year than eyer before, though the
bacon crop was not an average. OW-
ing to our abundant crops last year
farmers, and as consequence every
body else, are in much better condi-
ton now than this time last year.
Then, there was scarcely one man in
ten that had enough provision to run
him through the year Now every
body has plenty and to spare. Stock
of all kinds have come out of the win
ter in fine condition, and the work
stock are in better condition to per-
form their accustomed labor than
they were last year. 1t is true that
the people have not yet entirely recu-
perated from the two short crops of
'73 and IA, but they can begin to see
daylight ahead, and another good crop
will put them all right. And in this
connection it is proper to remark of
our merchants that they have shown
a commendable disposition to favor
the farmers, or at least those who were
trying to help themselves. Many of
them had accounts running over from
1874, that the merchants saw they
could not meet and procure the neces-
sary supplies with which to make
their crops, and so they waited with
them and extended further accomoda-
tons as they were able, trusting to the
growing crop for reimbursement. In
fact, many farmers could not have got
through with their crops without the
assistance thus afforded them. But
now, thanks to a bountiful Provi-
dence, almost all have a suficiency to
get through this year, and from the
vim and energy thus far displayed they
intend to make ten strike" in the
way of farming, aud we hope they may
succeed beyond their most sanguine
expectations, for upon the success of
the farmer depends the success of all
other classes.
The past week of balmy spring
weather has not only brought out the
farmers in full force, but each morn.
ing we hear the feathered denizens of
the forest joyously caroling their matin
lays in praise to the giver and pre-
server of all good. And even the dis
ciples Of Isaac Walton are out with
rod and tackle, bow and spike to ply
the piscatGrial art upon the fnny tribes
Of the deep. And this calls to mind
an occurrence Of last Sabbath. While
in the distance we could hear the
chime of the Sabbath school bell,
ringing out on the pleasant Sabbath
air, There were those to be seen, and
within sound of the bell, armed with
the necessary implements to make war
upon the fish tribe, thereby desecra-
ting Gods holy day. When we see
such things, we conclude that Solo
mon did not know what he was writing
about when he said, Train up child
in the way he should go, and when he
is old he will not depart therefrom,"
or else such have been badly trained,
and pay but little Difference to the
command which says, Remember the
Sabbath day to keep it holy" or
they may regard both the provcrb
and commandment as obsolete, and
having no binding force upon young
America Of this the nineteenth CEN
fury. In ante bellum days, such |
might have been expected of young
fifteenth amendments, but now they
don't indulge in such sports on the
Sabbath, and leave that for members
Of the Caucasian race.
In our last, in giving an.abstract of |
the minutes of the County Court, we
to state the amount of taxes
assessed for County purposes. The
amount was forty cents on the hun
dred dollars. The amount for several
years past has been only twenty cents,
and this and the debt created for an
aSylum for the moor (abOut 81 01O0 oc