2236 NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



sures in this state, it is very important to select varie- 

 ties that are adapted to the conditions where the trees 

 are to be planted. The fact that a desirable apple has 

 been originated in east Tennessee is no proof that it 

 will succeed well in all parts of this political division. 

 On the contrary, it is likely to give good results only 

 in certain soils and on certain exposures that are 

 requisite for its proper growth and fruitfulness. 



All the classes of fruits commonly grown in the 

 northern half of the United States are produced in 

 Tennessee for home and commerical purposes. Straw- 

 berries are shipped more largely to distant markets 

 than any other fruit. The area in peaches is increasing 

 rapidly. Summer apples are shipped from several 

 sections. 



Of the vegetables, tomatoes and Irish potatoes are 

 the most important commercially. The following 

 counties have been active in producing and shipping 

 fruits and vegetables: Gibson, Weakley, Madison, 

 Haywood, Shelby, Maury, Williamson, Lincoln, Ham- 

 ilton, Rhea, Roane, Morgan, Bradley, Washington, 

 and Knox. Peanuts are grown largely in Perry, Hum- 

 phreys, Benton, Decatur, Hickman, and Wayne. 



Many locations in East Tennessee are peculiarly 

 well adapted to the culture of grapes. This is shown 

 by the large exhibits of fine grapes made at the fall 

 horticultural meetings. The local markets are well sup- 

 plied with home-grown grapes during their season. 



Such fruits as Japanese persimmon and English 

 walnut have not been generally successful, though 

 occasional trees that are healthy and productive are 

 known in the state. The Paragon chestnut is a prom- 

 ising variety grafted on native stock. These fruits, 

 and thin-shelled pecans, while offering little to the 

 practical orchardist, are of interest to the amateur. 

 The currant and gooseberry succeed only hi the high 

 mountains of east Tennessee, and in favored localities 

 on the Cumberland Plateau. 



The nursery business is extensively developed in 

 Tennessee, the apple, peach, pear, and cherry being 

 largely propagated. There are 695 nursery firms listed 

 in the office of the State Entomologist, and about one- 

 third of them are wholesale growers. The largest 

 nursery interests are in Franklin, DeKalb, Warren, 

 Bradley, Knox, and Sullivan counties. 



The climate of Tennessee, with moderate temperature 

 and abundant rainfall, is favorable for the growth of 

 ornamental plants, and landscape gardening may be 

 extensively developed in all parts of the state, the prin- 

 cipal drawback being the difficulty of maintaining a 

 luxurious growth of lawn grasses. In west Tennessee, 

 Bermuda is more largely used than any other grass. 

 Kentucky blue-grass is most successful in the Central 

 Basin and can be well grown throughout middle and 

 east Tennessee by the free use of lime and fertilizers. 



No state in the Union, with the possible exception of 

 North Carolina, has a greater number of indigenous 

 woody plants. Among native deciduous trees the fol- 

 lowing are adapted to street, lawn and park planting: 

 large trees white elm, winged elm, sweet gum, black 

 gum, black locust, honey locust, silver maple, scarlet 

 maple, sugar maple, white ash, blue ash, bald cypress, 

 shagbark hickory, pecan, basswood (linn), beech, gray 

 birch, chestnut, catalpa, hackberry, black wild cherry, 

 black walnut, Kentucky coffee tree, cucumber tree, 

 tulip (poplar), sycamore, and the following oaks: black, 

 willow, pin, red, Spanish, scarlet, post, chestnut, white; 

 small trees juneberry, sourwood, silver bell, hornbeam, 

 water beech, Hercules' club, buckthorn, red-bud, yellow- 

 wood, fringe, wild plum, wild crab-apple, flowering 

 dogwood, umbrella tree, witch hazel, hawthorn, black 

 haw, red mulberry, sassafras, hop tree. The following 

 native shrubs are of value for ornamental planting: 

 bladder-nut, stewartia, callicarpa, calycanthus, yau- 

 pon (deciduous holly), flame-colored azalea, pinxter 

 flower, mock-orange, meadow-sweet, nine-bark, red 



ozier dogwood, flowering raspberry, elderberry, sumach, 

 Carolina rose, pink-flowering locust, spice bush, waahoo, 

 strawberry tree, coral-berry. Kalmia, rhododendron 

 and leucothoe occur abundantly in the mountain sec- 

 tions, but they cannot be well grown in the lowlands. 

 Of native conifers the shortleaf pine, Jersey pine, pitch 

 pine, red cedar and Carolina hemlock should be exten- 

 sively planted, though seldom used in landscape work, 

 with the exception of the red cedar. Holly is indigenous 

 along the streams, and is largely used in ornamental 

 planting. Difficulty is experienced with the more com- 

 mon coniferous forms, such as are listed by nurserymen, 

 except in the mountains. In the lowlands,- the spruces 

 and firs, and the white, Scotch and Austrian pines 

 are short-lived, though sometimes growing vigorously 

 to an age of fifteen to thirty years. Junipers, thuyas, 

 retinosporas and arbor-vitses are extensively planted 

 and give satisfaction when skilfully cared for. Among 

 broad-leaved evergreens, holly, Magnolia grandiflora, 

 several varieties of box, abelia, mahonia, Elseagnus 

 Simonii, and a few other forms grow well in almost all 

 parts of the state. Azalea indica and A. amcena have 

 been planted in city gardens, but have not proved suc- 

 cessful. All the common hardy flowering shrubs grow 

 luxuriously throughout Tennessee. In almost all parts 

 of the state all classes of roses can be grown in gardens 

 except the more tender teas. In the southwest part of 

 the state such tender varieties as the Marechal Niel 

 grow well with a little protection. 



Hardy herbaceous plants are largely grown in Tennes- 

 see gardens, and their popularity is rapidly increasing. 

 Among plants of this class, the following are recom- 

 mended for all parts of the state: narcissus, tulip, 

 hyacinth, Lilium tigrinum, L. candidum, L. speciosum, 

 L. auratum, L. Martagon, lily-of-the-valley, German 

 iris, Spanish iris, Japanese iris, peony, phlox, foxglove, 

 pinks, bleeding heart, delphinium, Japanese anemone, 

 chrysanthemum, funkia, rose mallow and mallow 

 hybrids, candytuft, bluebells, columbine, gaillardia, 

 oriental poppy, hollyhock, platycodon, Shasta daisy, 

 golden glow, baby's breath, small-flowered double sun- 

 flower, hybrid pyrethrum, yellow and orange hemero- 

 callis. 



Among climbing plants, the best for covering walls 

 in Tennessee are English ivy, Boston ivy, and Evony- 

 mus radicans; for porches and pergolas, grapes, Virginia 

 creeper, trumpet creeper, Chinese trumpet creeper, 

 Chinese wistaria, Japanese wistaria. 



Public-service agencies for horticulture. 



The University of Tennessee was established at 

 Knoxville, in 1794, and the College of Agriculture, as a 

 department of the University, accepted the provisions 

 of the first Mprrill land-grant in 1868-9. The profes- 

 sorship in horticulture was established in January, 1900. 

 Until 1915 the professor of horticulture also served as 

 horticulturist of the Experiment Station. The Experi- 

 ment Station is also at Knoxville in connection with 

 the college. To date thirty-three bulletins on horti- 

 culture, insects and plant diseases, have been issued 

 by the Experiment Station. 



Courses in horticulture are offered in the four normal 

 schools of the state and as a part of the agricultural 

 teaching in the county high-schools. Gardening is 

 taught in many of the city schools. 



The Division of Extension of the College of Agri- 

 culture has a specialist in horticulture and makes 

 demonstrations in fruit- and truck-growing. 



Thr work of inspecting nurseries is conducted by 

 the State Department of Agriculture. The head- 

 quarters of the inspector are at the University. 



Statistics (Thirteenth Census). 



The approximate land area of Tennessee in 1910 was 

 26,679,680 acres. The land in farms was 75.1 per cent 

 of the land area, or 20,041,657 acres. Of this land in 



