Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1913-09-03
WHAT is THE TROUBLE WITH
TENNESSEE

cheese OIL staple products IN tennessee
aud all can be produced right here in
the State as well aud as cheap as they
can be produced anywhere. The money
paid out that leaves the state runs
into millions Of dollars. Why should
this money leave the state when the
products il pays for can be produced
better hereg
Since earliest childhood We have heard |
orators grow eloquent over our match
less resources, the fertility of our soils,
the abundane aud purity OF our water
The luxurance of the grass on our mea-
dows our fields OF golden grain, our
herds Of cattle, our flocks Of sheep. To |
hear them one would think Tennessee
was veritable n Drado.
The pictures they portray are pleas
ing and possible. Our Creator has made
them possible, but what have we been
doingg Have we been using as we
| should this possible III Doradoy II does
not appear that we have, when we emu
merate the many things we are i'm
| porting into Tennessee. II does not
look like it when we travel over the
State and see the many evidences OF
abuse this favored land has been sub
jected to. We see CALLED and washed
hillsides. We see weeds and briars
growing where there should be waving
the golden grain
The herds and flocRs are few and far
between. There is much we find that
does not fit in the pictures we have
heard so eEoquently word painted so
many times.
would prefer to follow in the same
vein if facts would bear me out, but
you know they would not. SO long as
we import the staples we now import
when they should and could be pro-
duced here we had better face the mu-
sic, find out the cause, and try to rem
edv il.
The cause, broadly stated, is want Of
interest in the agriculture of the state.
There has been much activity for sew
: eral years in the development of our
mineral and timber resources. This
has necessitated increased mileage Of
railroads. With the railroads came
manufacturing establishments New
cities and towns have grown up all in
creasing farm production because the
increased demand for labor was largely
supplied from our farms. Then, too,
the public schools in the past have edu.
Gated the boys and girls away from the
farm instead of to the farm The coun-
try schools have been neglected in a
! measure The new, inexperienced teach
| ers have been sent to the country
! schools. The boys and girls have had
! held up to them as ideals men and
| women who had become famous in some
\ of the professions and encouraged &c
/ qualify themselves for professional ca
H reers.
| Farmers, if they secured educational
\ advantages for their children, had t,
4 move to the towns and villages Tn
J boy and girl neither had chance t
see or hear anything to encourage then
% to stay on the farm 1t is not to, b,
- wondered at that they wanted to gef
e away from the farm and it is easy tx
% understand why we are importing 81
'o much that we should be producing il
Tennessee, and that, before another fiv
I years, we will be producing in Tonnes
see.
You have heard it said, "There is n
j lane so long without a turn" We ar
rounding the turn The high cost .
u living is helping lis. The faithful fe,
"a have been working long for better as
9. rieulture They have succeeded in il
"a teresting few in different PORTIONS Q
% the state Those few have been in
y, ~ proving their land and practicing moo
ern, scientific methods. Now, with tn
49, prevailing high prices and their increat
- ed production they are prospecting.
= The newspapers always in the for
70. front of progress, are lending their al
bo in popuarizing agriculture as VOC
81. ton and in the dissemination of info
GU nation valuable to the farmer. T!
he railroad managers are awake to Il
10 value of progressive agricultural Sc
ba ton along their lines and are lendn
he every possible intelligent aid to the d
velopment of the farm land along the
mr. lines.
II Those at the head of the public scho
I'M system of the state have changed the
he policy and now encourage the teaching
,si. of agriculture and domestic science II
progressive farmer is now regarded
,th the shrewd man of business. The com
supplements of the Sunday papers !
more caricature the farmer as the h.
seed and country bumpEm. The leade
in agricultural development are elm
mating the theorist and putting in
. D ace the teacher and lecturer who tai
practical common sense in language t
| farmer can understand.
| While we are importing many thin
| we should be raising at home; VIII
| there is still evidence of neglect and
difference on the part of the farme
| OF the past, we are going to decrca
! the imports with home products and !
/ are going to cover with mantle
green the CALLED hillsides, evidences
noor farming Of our predecessO
Then We can in truth boast of the rit
ness grandeur and beauty of our 'o'
redeemed tennessee.
A mans work lives after him. I
man who ends his career ON farm tn
he has improved in productivity and ;
| pesrance ieaves suitable monuma