The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-07

Aburned. Everything was destroyed, the cotton fields, the negro quarters, 1 the big house on the hill left in smoul- dering ruins. So Bainbridge today is comparatively new, having been rebuilt | by Mir. J. $. Kernachan, the present owner. Five years ago 915 acres of the original purchase were bought by government in anticipation of the over | flow from the dam, but MT. Kernachan retained the right to cultivate the land until the water should come up, Only the lowlands were included in the pur- chase by the government, the hill tops being out of reach of the water and kept by Mir. Kernachan at home site. So the spirit of Bainbridge will be pre-, served.
 As interesting as are the higtorical associations of Bainbridge her real claim to honor lies not in the past but in the present, for Bainbridge is one of the l leading farms of the south today. Three years ago Mir. Kernachan, Sr,, gave up 1 the actual management of the farm to l become president of the Alabama Farm | Bureau Cotton association in response to a unanimous call from the cotton | growers of the state, and his son Robert took charge. Robert has made scien- tific study of farming, having complet- ed the agricultural course at Auburn, besides inheriting all the family talent in that direction. But neither teaching nor talent will avail anything when Uncle Sam turns 40 feet of water on the land as he has promised to do by July, 1925. As said before Bainbridge was originally intended for a cotton center, and cotton has remained a tavorlte through all the years for the Kerna- chans have somehow had a way of out wittipg short crOps, low prices and the boil weevil However grain farming and livestock have utilized large DOT tion of the acreage. Bainbridge af- lords one of the best pastures in Ala bama, the pasture land being valued at $4O0 an acre. Grazing on this pasture is fine herd of pure bred Angus that | is thing of beauty and good fat beef | There is also a flock of lambs that I fleck the hillside in the moonlight, and pay a visit to the Birmingham market every spring, except such as find their way into Brunswick stew for home con sumption. This Bainbridge Brunswick Fstew is one of >the imcomparable claS sics know whereof l speak.
 There is a flower garden at Bain- bridge that you should see for your self, 1t is impossible to do it justice with pen and ink, for no words can reflect the color fragrance of the flow CTS of this garden which is an ever blooming tribute to Mrs. Kernachan, who laid 1t out and planted the first slips years ago when she and MT. | Kernachan went to Bainbridge as bride and groom to make their home and rebuild the long neglected place. The garden lies on a protected hillside, and month after month, year in and year out, yields it's multi-colored har- vest. Early in February the jonQuils spring up and spread themselves everywhere like q cloth of gold, then come the violets, myriads of them, and the garden is carpeted in royal purple, and the lilies, tall and stately, breath ing of Easter. Then summer arrives in. riot of colOrs with the rose as queen of the garden, and her atten- dants, the peonies and popies and sweet peas, the nasturtiums and zinnias and marygolds. And when the gaiety of summer is spent the astors come, and the chrysanthemums, white and yellow and bronze, taking the tints of autumn and reminding us that the year is far gone. The Christmas table at Bain- bridge is frequently Dadorned with roses from the garden on the side of the hill.
 Since giving up the management of the farm of Mir, and Mir. Kernachan have made their home in Florence where they were welcomed by a host of friends. Mir. Kernachan is devoting lCQntinued on page twol