The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-12-08
DIR. HAWKINS, SPEECH.


hour had taken the people away.
Giles had a record in the history OF
our state as having been honored as no
other county had been in furnishing
three governors. When entering upon
the duties of his Office he looked over
the state in order that he might know
her wants. He remembered that when
he was boy lands yielded more and he
wondered why it was they had fallen
away. He inquired into the systems OF
cultivation and investigated the chem
zeal quality of our soil and the philOso-
ply of plant growth, and he learned
that certain elements were necessary in
the soil to make it productive. He saw
that in the long years past men were
abstracting these elements and not re-
storing them. He related an incident
in Knox where productiveness had de-
creased fifty per cent. and perhaps that
ratio prevailed here, aud it was nothing
more nor less than the abstraction OF
these chemical elements for which ne
equivalent was returned. In 1850 in
Ohio the average wheat yield was Is
bushels. In 1866 it had declined to
AZ. Farmers became alarmed and
careful search was made for the cause,
and they commenced to fertiliZe expert
mentally and use more careful methods
of cultivation until it began 10 go up
again and reached in 1881 to Is lilo
bushels Tennessee was reaching the
reactionary point and he was satisfied
she could equal or exceed Ohio under
the same treatment, The time has
come when we must change our meth
DDS of dealing with the soil. Under the
rental system renters do not look to the
ultimate effect upon the soil and the in
jury to land was even N Ore than under
the slavery system when owners took
some little care. 1t is to the interest of
all that our industries be built up, and
especially to the farmer that our popu-
lation be increased so that he may raise
and find a home market for products
that he cannot raise now because
freighfs eat them up before they can get
to market. Tennessee has soil and CHI |
mate to make it one of the most desira-
BILE states in the unien, and it has unde-
veloped resources to make it one of the |
wealthiest. 1t is mistake to say lands |
are worn Out-they are tired out and |
susceptible of easy and rapid rcstora- |
ton if we can cultivate habits of energy |
and thrift and get the assistance of
these hardy sons of toll who are seeking |
homes in our land. Go through the |
country and you find the lands neglect
ed and washing, gates hanging by one |
hinge, houses and fencing rotting and |
evidences of decay all around. AT the |
north where they have such marvellous |
yields you find men on small farms, |
working every inch, everything in re-
pair, neat and tidy. Suppose two farms
of opposite condition in Giles and pur-
chaser comes-how much more will he
give for the one in order than the one
gone to rack? Labor is neglected and
not clothed in its proper dignity.
Young ladies arrive at the age when
their thoughts naturally turn upon
matrimony and they give preference to
the proposal of q young professional
or clerk because they have seen the
thriitlessness upon our farms and learned
to think that a farmers wife is a
drudge. If our people would change
their methods, beautify their homes
and make their farms pleasant and
pretty, all these conditions would
change. Instead of wasting time on
political chickering's, we should turn our
attention to learning better methods
and PRACTIcING them, and while we are I
asking immigrants to come and help US
out of the mire, let's adopt the advice OF
Hercules and put our own shoulders to
the wheel. When he took survey of
what was needed he devised a plan to
attract attention of people in other
states. He got an agent in each county I.
to furnish him with a description of ,
lands for sale and published them in a ,
bulletin and sent them over {
the north to persons who desired to q
change their homes. On last Saturday i
he got letter from man in Ohio who I
had read the bulletin and was inuuirirg
of one of the tracts described in Giles,
with a view of investing $4,000 or
$40, 900 in lands and as much more in c
stock raising. He gets such letters g
every day, showing the good being ac- &
To carry out these plans in
Giles he advised immediate organiza-
ion, the selection OF good secretary
% record lands offered and to carry on
necessary correspondence and he strong
y urged that owners should state the r
naked truth about their lands, with no Q
ancy cOloring, for ii one man is fooled
t may prove disastrous. People away s
Up north and east know nothing of us /
'r our climate, ETC., and they never will
lnless we tell them. Let them know
hat while they age feeding their stock
md keeping themselves indoors six =
months in the year, our stock are graz
ng nearly all winter and our people at
work out doors in their shirt sleeves
10 this work systematically and you
- SSS Jul AohO blOSSOtA 90 bllG rose II
nd the fruits of our labors will soon be
pparent.
After DIR. Hawkins concluded Mai
sykes was called to the chair and L
he following committee appointed I
o effect an organization of the Il
tiles County immigration Society: i
T. K. ?. Blackburn, chairman; T.
d. N. Jones, secretary; Jas E. Alb L
rnathy, T. B. Harwell, j. Il. Grove, l.
. F. Wilson, F. Smithson and Da- Il
id Khea. Il
The committee have a constitu u
ion already prepared and the plan l.
work marked out. 1t adjourned Il
} meet next Saturday at the court L.