NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



$35,172. Other vegetables grown were asparagus, 

 beets, celery, cucumbers, kale, lettuce, rhubarb, spinach 

 and turnips. 



The acreage devoted to the production of flowers and 

 plants increased from 132 in 1899 to 249 in 1909, an 

 increase of 88.6 per cent. The area under glass in 1909 

 was 1,363,002 square feet, of which 1,276,823 were 

 covered by greenhouses and 86,179 by sashes and 

 frames. The value of flowers and plants produced in 

 1909 was $392,409, as compared with $262,288 in 1899. 



The acreage devoted to nursery products, on the 

 other hand, decreased from 837 in 1899 to 542 in 1909, 

 when the value of the products was $115,963, as com- 

 pared with $114,749 in 1899. c. W. MATHEWS. 



Tennessee. 



The horticultural products of Tennessee (Fig. 2517) 

 are greatly diversified on account of the varied soil 

 and climatic conditions. A knowledge of the natural 

 divisions of the state is essential to a thorough under- 

 standing of its adaptability to the various branches of 

 horticulture. 



The Unaka region, on the eastern border, contains 

 about 2,000 square miles. A few of the peaks are over 

 6,000 feet above sea-level, and the average elevation 

 is 3,000 feet. The soil is gravelly and thin, but contains 

 areas that are fairly productive. Apples are grown to 

 a limited extent. 



The valley of East Tennessee is the next division. 

 It contains 9,200 square miles and an average eleva- 

 tion of 1,000 feet. The soils are generally well adapted 

 to fruits. Records taken at Knoxville during a period 

 of forty-four years show an average annual rainfall of 

 48.73 inches. Strawberries are extensively grown for 

 northern markets in Hamilton, Rhea, Roane, Blount, 

 and Knox counties ; commercial peach orchards in Rhea, 

 Roane, Washington, and Bradley counties; there are 

 few large apple orchards, but farm orchards indicate 

 success in commercial orcharding. 



A thousand feet above the valley of East Tennessee 

 lies the Cumberland Tableland, containing 5,100 square 

 miles. This section, for the most part, is poor, the soils 

 being sandy and thin. There are, however, areas of 

 land which produce fruits and vegetables of the highest 

 quality. An apple and peach 

 orchard of over 400 acres in 

 Morgan County is the larg- 

 est in the state. Irish pota- 

 toes of superior quality are 

 an important crop in Cum- 

 berland County, and, with 

 proper fertilizing, can be 

 grown with profit in all parts 

 of the plateau. The climate 

 is particularly healthful. 



West of the Cumberland 

 Tableland is the Highland 



The Plateau, or Slope, of west Tennessee is the most 

 important horticultural region commercially in the 

 state. It contains 8,850 square miles and has an average 

 elevation of 500 feet. The soils are generally light, 

 fertile and easily cultivated, but demand careful treat- 

 ment to prevent serious damage by washing. There 

 are extensive commercial orchards of apple and peach 

 in Haywood, Weakley, Gibson, and Madison counties, 

 but the principal horticultural products are truck crops 

 of strawberry, tomato, early and second -crop Irish 

 potato, lettuce, cabbage, pepper, and sweet potato. 

 Humboldt is the principal center of the trucking 

 industry, which is rapidly developing. 



The last natural division, the Mississippi bottoms, 

 has an area of 950 square miles and an average eleva- 

 tion of 295 feet. It is little used for horticultural 

 purposes. 



The possibilities of Tennessee for the cultivation of 

 fruits and nuts are evidenced by the profusion of these 

 products in a wild state. Wild strawberries are found 

 thoroughly distributed. Blackberries thrive every- 

 where. In favorable localities they attain a very large 

 size, surpassing in this respect some of the cultivated 

 varieties. Wild blackberries are marketed in large 

 quantities in many sections, but only the earliest 

 named varieties are desirable for shipment. Red and 

 black raspberries grow in most parts of the state; and 

 in some sections the best of the wild blackcaps, when 

 transplanted to the garden, give better results than any 

 of the cultivated varieties. In cultivation, the rasp- 

 berry succeeds best when heavily mulched. Wild 

 grapes abound throughout the state. Plums are also 

 found in profusion; and the Wild Goose variety is said 

 to have originated in Tennessee. Other wild fruits are: 

 dewberries, cherries, crab-apples, juneberries, pawpaws, 

 persimmons, and huckleberries. 



Of the nuts, chestnuts are most plentiful, especially 

 in the hilly and mountainous sections. The chinkapin 

 flourishes in east Tennessee. Black walnuts are exceed- 

 ingly numerous. Hickory-nuts are common through- 

 out the state. Pecans are native along the streams, 

 attaining great size in the Mississippi bottoms, but the 

 thin-shelled named varieties have not been generally 

 successful. Hazel-nuts, and butternuts, or white wal- 

 nuts, are also plentiful. 



Cemercia/ Onherd Rtfions 



Nl/rstiy Ctntvi frthoksak) 



2517. Tennessee, marking the horticultural areas. 



Rim, surrounding the Central Basin. The Rimlands 

 have an area of 9,300 square miles and an average 

 elevation of nearly 1,000 feet. This territory possesses 

 a great variety of soils, some of which are highly fertile 

 and well suited to orcharding. Numerous streams cut 

 the land into valleys, which are generally deep and 

 narrow. 



The Central Basin, in which Nashville is situated, 

 contains 5,450 square miles, with numerous elevations 

 of 200 to 300 feet above the general level. The soil is 

 fertile and well adapted to small-fruits and vegetables. 

 The average rainfall at Nashville is 49.53 inches. The 

 largest commercial apple orchards of the state are 

 located in this section, in Maury and Williamson 

 counties. 



The next natural division is the valley of the Ten- 

 nessee River. It has an elevation of about 360 feet 

 and an area of 1,200 square miles. 



Some of the native seedling fruits are highly valued, 

 especially apples, peaches and strawberries. Many 

 well-known varieties introduced from other states are 

 not satisfactory. This is especially true of winter 

 varieties of the apple, of which the introduced kinds are 

 not so well adapted to the climate and soils as those of 

 local origin. This fact is becoming well established 

 among practical horticulturists. It is only a few years 

 since orchardists were planting varieties of winter 

 apples originated in the North. After repeated failures 

 to get first-class fruit of good keeping qualities, they 

 have begun to use native seedling varieties. Some of 

 them will doubtless be largely cultivated in the future. 

 A few native varieties of winter apples have gained 

 considerable popularity among commerical orchardists. 

 The fruits of these sorts have commanded remunerative 

 prices in competition with apples shipped from the 

 North. Owing to the great diversity of soils and expo- 



