64 



energy expended on stock, the grasses and cere- 

 als, would have paid better, while improving the 

 farms. For five years ending September 1st, 

 1876. receipts of Middle Tennessee, and North 

 Alabama cotton at Nashville exhibit 282 259 bales. 



Rice and sugar are the staples of the coasts, 

 and these productions must inevitably increase 

 in importance every year. 



Tobacco is a staple, and fan be grown almost 

 anywhere, according to variety ; those of Mary- 

 land and Virginia are renowned ; so are those of 

 Kentucky and Tennessee ; and for fifty years 

 those of Tennessee have been noted for excel- 

 lence. The area of plant ing is steadily on the in- 

 crease in Tennessee, and all that is needed is 

 proper encouragement, to stimulate a larger 

 production than any state in the Union. It is 

 not destructive to land like cotton and corn, and 

 yields a larger remuneration to labor bestowed 

 on less area of cultivation to the hand, and at 

 the same time admits of an easy rotation with 

 the cerals and grasses. Judgment of, and nicety 

 in handling the crop constitute the chief features 

 in its productive value. Its busiest season is in 

 August and September, and this affords ample 

 time for raising abundant supplies for the farm. 

 As an article of commerce it is perhaps not in- 

 ferior to that of any other named ; it enters into 

 the consumption of all people, nearly a billion 

 and a quarter of tons being annually consumed. 

 More than 1,000,000 persons are engaged in its 

 cultivation and preparation for market, and the 

 states of the world gather a very large share of 

 theirrevenue from it alone. In the period from 1850 

 to 1870 the production of tobacco in the Western 

 States had, notwithstanding the civil war, increas- 

 ed 62,982. 686 pounds. Tennessee had added 15,000,- 

 000 pounds to her production. The estimates 

 for 1874 and 1875 exhibit for eiarht states, (of 

 which four are Northern and Western) 113,000 

 hogsheads. The market at Nashville last year 

 was very active, and the outlook very hopeful 

 for this season, but extraordinary causes com- 

 bined to largely diminish the expectations of 

 the trade. The government with the greatest 

 ease can lay its heavy hand upon this crop, and 

 in fact derives a large revenue from its inequit- 

 able imposts, realizing in 1875 $37,303.461. The 

 receipts of tobacco leaf at Nashville for the com- 

 mercial year just ended, show an excess of 4,000 

 hogsheads over any former year; they were 

 9 V 116 hogsheads. At Clarksville they reached 

 nearly 15,000 hogsheads. 



Wheat is largely grown in Texas. Her north- 

 ern counties are capable of thirty bushels to the 

 acre under the common treatment of the farmer. 

 Under higher care forty bushels may be expect- 

 ed. Along the northern belt of the Southern 

 States, from ten to twenty-five bushels are to be 

 expected, according to rotation and care in the 

 preparation of the soil. Virginia and Tennes- 

 see wheats have no superiors, producing the 

 best and most beautiful flour, and from its qual- 

 ity is best adapted for shipment to foreign ports. 

 In my state the best yield is after clover. I be- 

 lieve in the drill, but there is diversity of opin- 

 ions among our best farmers on broadcasting 

 and drilling. Fultz, Tappahannock and Amber 

 are the favorite seed ; the former is in great 

 favor at present. Merchants and millers in 

 Nashville handle 250,000 barrels of flour. 



The Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi bot- 

 toms will yield of corn 100 bushels and more to 

 the acre. All our Tennessee bottom lands will 

 produce, under good handling, fifty to seventy- 

 five bushels ; our uplands thirty to forty bush- 

 els, in favorable seasons. We pay more atten- 

 tion to wheat and corn than heretofore, and I 

 may add that there is a new farming impulse 

 felt throughout the state by the whole body of 

 farmers. Our production is largely increased. 

 As the Appalachian range is approached, the 

 geological features have changed, and oats, bar- 

 ley, rye, broom corn and sorghum produce fair 



crops anywhere. Oats are liable to rust, and I 

 do not consider them worth raising, though 

 others may differ. A red, rust-proof oat is ad- 

 vertised as very valuable. 1 tried it, and last 

 winter's freezes severely injured it. 



Tennessee is the land for grasses and clovers. 

 All along the slopes, in the coves, in the valleys 

 of the Appalachian range and its offshoots, they 

 flourish in excellence. Blne-smiss gives a name 

 to the favorite region of Kentucky, and it is al- 

 most as fine in Middle Tennessee, where indeed 

 you find the brooklets and creeks are numerous, 

 and flowing above ground, with a milder climate 

 than Central Kentucky. Timothy grows finely, 

 but is invaded by the weeds if neglected. Or- 

 chard g ra-s grows more in favor every year with 

 us, and grows anywhere, almost. The indispen- 

 sable clovers gain new admirers every year, and 

 are, after all, our best and cheapest renovators 

 and fertilizers. The alfalfa will grow in West 

 Tennessee well, and further South. I have seen 

 it luxuriating at El Paso, 4,000 feet above sea 

 level. 



The grasses native to the Cumberland pla- 

 teau, during the summer and fall fatten a great 

 many cattle and sheep. In Texas the mesquit 

 and other nutritious grasses, fatten, for their 

 long drives North, tens of thousands of cattle ; 

 and other stock live almost entirely upon them, 

 sheep especially. With the addition of pure 

 bloods now taking place ia cattle and sheep, we 

 may look for startling results in Texas. 



The sweet potato is an enormous producer 

 everywhere, and is an invaluable product. 



Irish potatoes of the early sorts, from the 

 coasts up to the mountains, yield fairly, and 

 bring good prices in the Northern markets, 

 poaching severely, I suspect, upon the old mo- 

 nopoly of Northern gardners ; and this Is true 

 of nearly all the vegetables. A late red Irish 

 potato is planted with us from June to July, and 

 in very favorable seasons yield 400 bushels. Fifty 

 thousand barrels of Irish potatoes were handled 

 in Nashville last year. 



All the garden vegetables flourish turnips, 

 cabbage, carrots, parsnips, salsify and okra, and 

 are remunerative crops ; but I cannot give the 

 precise yield per acre. 



Pumpkins are large, prolific, and very valu- 

 able aids as stock food. The melons are as fine 

 from Tennessee to the Gulf as can be produced 

 anywhere, both as to size and sweetness. Pea- 

 nuts are a large and profitable crop. 



Along the mountain slopes from Virginia to 

 West Tennessee, in West Tennessee and Arkan- 

 sas, apples do finely, the Cumberland plateau 

 excelling in this respect, in color and taste, t->at 

 would seem to leave little to be desired, but 

 we do not succeed well in keeping them, and, at 

 the best, with very few sorts. We grow fine 

 peaches and plums in Tennessee, finer in Geor- 

 gia, Alabama and Mississippi. Last year 2.000,000 

 pounds ot dried fuit sold in Nashville at 10 cents 

 per pound. This year 6,000,000 pounds are esti- 

 mated by the trade. Pears grow finely, and are 

 subject to blights badly. They do well in Louis- 

 iana and Georgia. In Tennessee we grow the 

 May Du*e and Morrello cherries, the Wild Goose 

 plum, and a late red plum. There are many 

 others wild. 



The grape will one day be famous in the South. 

 In North Carolina, West Tennessee, and below 

 34 degrees the Scuppernong grows finely, and 

 will be more cultivated. It is a wonderful bear- 

 er, and produces a wine of great excellence. 1 

 could mention many valuable sorts that are 

 grown in my state, some portions of which are 

 admirably adapted to grape culture. Far down 

 South the Hamburg and Golden Chasselaz are 

 grown. Wild varieties, some very excellent, 

 grow everywhere. 



The strawberry and blackberry, the raspberry 

 and dewberry, whortleberry and gooseberry all 

 do well, and if you are not satisfied with these, 



