The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-11-12
The Farmers Association.

| The association met Saturday II
the county court room with 13 mem
beers present, President I. 0. Aber
nathy in the chair. On call o
committees the committee or
the northern excursion reported
the time and number of excursion
lists yet unknown. They were in
structed to meet the 3rd Saturday
and cooperate with the citizens o.
Pulaski and the county in arrang-
Jag for a proper reception of tho
excursion and to arrange for a dis
play of Giles county farm products
at that time if thought best.
The subject for discussion, "Un.
derdrainage," was opened by DR..
Harwell. He read an able paper by
Col. Killebrew and then gave his
own experience in undertaking in
which he had restored to great fer.
tility much wet land on his place
by undertaking with rock placed
in open bitches and covered. Mr.
Robert Pullen had much land that
needed undertaking but had not
drained it. Maj. Brownlow lived
on a creek the lands of which were
very gravelly and did not need un-
derdraining. Capt. j. E. Aberna-
thy used open drains and thought
them failure, they filed up so
badly; thought open drains ought
to be made with road scrapers very
wide and shallow. He had much
land ruined for want of drainage.
This wet land when reclaimed was
the finest in the country. Mr.. S. p.
White had seen thousands of acres
in Ohio reclaimed from miasmatic
swamps and changed to the finest
farms in the world by underdrain-
ing. He described underdrainage
tile and tile making, etc. He was
sure that there are thousands of
acres of rich Giles county lands
that are now worthless that can be
restored to fertility by underdrain-
age. He gave much of the scienti-
fic theory of drainage.
W. S. Rhea gave his own expert
ence and also his neighbor Colston
Abernathy's practice of underdrain
age by which he had recovered a
q large body of very valuable land
by drains constructed with rock.
The Ii farmers present all gave
their experience. 1t was remarked
that such an array of facts and fig
ures and so much science was never
supposed to be in the possession of
Giles county farmers on the subject
of underdrainage. Giles county
farmers who have wet lands could
i'll afford to miss this discussion
They would have learned much to
their advantage.
Best time to SOW timothy was
discussed and early in October af-
ter millet was thought best.
How to keep sage out ofmeadows
was discussed and brought out the
practice of all present. Mr.. Pullen
repo rted two pieces of clover in
the same field one of which all died,
the other now fine, and it elected
much discussion. 1t was decided
that moving would have saved it..
The show of corn was very fine.
Mai. Brownlow showed four varie-
ties-early dent, large white, red
and strawberry. Capt. J. E. Aber-
nathy three varies-yellow, straw
berry and white. NJ HarRell had
very large white variety. J. H.
Burrow showed a variety a mixture
of the little Willis and large white
to get two cared prolific corn. Ike
Shapard showed a dozen ears OF
very fine white corn grown on a
field where corn had grown 46 years
consecutivelv. 1t was remarkably
sound and fine. The corn taken as
a whole l never saw equaled.
Messrs. White, Rhea and NJ. Har-
we'll were appointed a committee to
report at next meeting as to the
best corn to grow.
j. II. Burrow, j. Z. Alternately
and Robert Pullen were appointed
q committee to draft resolutions on
the death of our worthy deceased
member, Esq. J. D. Reynolds, to re
port at next meeting.
Subject next meeting. "Educa
ton of Farmer" DIR. Harwell to
open.
Adjourned to meet first Saturday
in December.
J. H. BURRow, Sec'y.