388 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



Cotton culture in Florida is chiefly confined to the northern part of the State, lying 

 adjacent to Georgia. This is mostly pine land, and is cultivated without manure; hence the 

 low product of less than a quarter of a bale per acre. Notwithstanding this, there has been 

 a respectable increase in production since 1870, though not so large as that of the population ; 

 a circumstance doubtless due to the prominent position which the culture of tropical fruits 

 has assumed during the past decade, and to which most of the new-comers have given their 

 attention. No cotton is returned from the portion of the State lying south of Tampa Bay, 

 and but little from the coasts, as well as from the extreme western part. The cotton-growing 

 counties show an average product of 0.26, or a little over a quarter of a bale per inhabitant. 



Tennessee presents the striking fact of a total production less than half of that of Ala 

 bama, but with an average product per acre one-half greater; equal even to that of Missis 

 sippi. The cause of this state of things becomes apparent when we circumscribe the regions 

 of production in accordance with the natural divisions of the State. It then appears that the 

 portion of Tennessee lying east of the &quot;central basin,&quot;* from the eastern highland rim to 

 the line of North Carolina, and comprising about one-third of the area of the State, produces 

 only about one per cent, of the total amount of cotton; while eighty- four per cent, of this 

 total is produced in the country lying between the Tennessee and Mississippi rivers. More 

 than this, within this region, the average production per inhabitant is 0.52 of a bale, and a 

 little less (0.49 of a bale) per acre ; while the average for the entire State, per inhabitant, is 

 only 0.21 of a bale. Again, of the above 84 per cent., 70 belongs to the two tiers of coun 

 ties lying nearest to the Mississippi river. Of these, only a small portion is bottom-land of 

 the Mississippi river; the greater part by far being gently rolling uplands (&quot;table-lands &quot;), 

 such as form a large body in Northwestern Mississippi, also, and extend, gradually narrow 

 ing, as far south as Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 



It thus appears that the cotton production of Tennessee is concentrated upon a compar 

 atively small area of highly -productive land, the rest being devoted preferably to grain, 

 tobacco, grasses, and other industries, to which the soils and climates are more specially 

 adapted ; while in the other cotton-growing States, cotton is very generally grown, as a matter 

 of course, regardless of other cultures, of which the partial pursuit, at least, would in the end 

 be more profitable than exclusive cotton-planting. 



Arkansas produces its 608,256 bales on somewhat over a million of acres; making the 

 average product per acre slightly higher than that of Louisiana, viz., 0.58, and 0.76 of a bale 

 per inhabitant. A cursory examination shows that by far the greater portion of the cotton 

 produced comes from the eastern and southern portions of the State, which contains a large 

 proportion of bottom lands; while in the extreme northern and northwestern counties but lit 

 tle cotton is grown. The form of the returns makes it difficult to segregate the production of 

 the uplands and lowlands in this case; but the product, per acre, of Chicot county stands 

 second to the highest on the list, and it is safe to assume that, on detailed discussion, the 

 average production of uplands and lowlands will be found to be, respectively, about the same 

 as in Louisiana. In both States, alike, the use of fertilizers in the large-scale production of cot 

 ton, may be regarded as wholly insignificant in its influence on the general result. 



In the case of Louisiana, as in that of Tennessee, a considerable portion (about one- 

 fourth) of the State is devoted mainly to other cultures than that of cotton ; the sugar-cane 

 gaining precedence in the lowland country lying south of the mouth of Red River, in which 

 only about 6 per cent, of the total amount of cotton is produced, but at the average rate of 

 0.80 bale per acre. Nearly the same, or a slightly higher average per acre, is obtained in the 

 alluvial lands north and west of the mouth of Red River, and in the Red River valley itself. 

 The small parish of East Carroll, in the northeast corner of the State, has the highest aver- 



*Tlie &quot; central basin&quot; includes the valleys of the Cumberland, Duck, and Elk rivers, with tribu 

 taries. 



