[43] 



their place. Mutton sheep, near Nashville, good grades, 

 bring in the market five cents per pound, gross; lambs, 

 grade, three and a half to four and a half dollars. 



A large trade in lambs has been built up within a few 

 years past. Hundreds of car loads are shipped every spring 

 from this basin to points North, and good prices realized. 

 Good sheep farms can be bought in the basin for ten to 

 forty dollars per acre the price varying as to situation and 

 soil. 



We come now to consider the Plateau Slope of West 

 Tennessee for the breeding of sheep. Here the lands, ex- 

 cept a strip near the Tennessee river, are low, the surface 

 generally broken by gentle undulations, except in the river 

 basins. The counties bordering the Tennessee river are oc- 

 casionally rugged, especially the western parts of Hardin, 

 Decatur and Benton. The soil of West Tennessee being 

 largely intermixed with sand, grasses do not grow HO uni- 

 versally as in the last division spoken of. Nevertheless, 

 j-ome grasses find here a most congenial soil. In no part 

 of the State does herdVgrass grow so luxuriantly, nor has 

 the soil any superior for the production of orchard grass. 

 In that tier of counties running next to the Kentucky line, 

 and parallel with it, also in Dyer, Lauderdale, and Tipton 

 counties, where the Bluff Loam formation prevails, clover 

 attains its highest development. Nowhere, however, in 

 West Tennessee, does blue grass make a first-rate sod. It 

 will grow, but not better than upon the rim- lauds. As a 

 division, however, West Tennessee has a larger proportion 

 of rich soils than either Middle or East Tennessee. 



Sheep husbandry has never claimed the attention of the 

 farmers in this division to the extent its importance merits. 

 In many counties there is not wool enough grown to furnish 

 stockings to the inhabitants. For producing heavy mutton 

 sheep there is no part of the State better adapted. The 

 numerous railroads give easy access to markets, and good 

 prices could be realized for early lambs and iat mutton 



