A TASTE OF KENTUCKY-BLUE GRASS 227 



From Shelby City we went west sixty or 

 more miles, skirting the blue-grass region, to 

 Lebanon Junction, where I took the train for 

 Cave City. The blue-grass region is as large 

 as the State of Massachusetts, and is, on the 

 whole, the finest bit of the earth's surface, with 

 the exception of parts of England, I have yet 

 seen. In one way it is more pleasing than 

 anything one sees in England, on account of the 

 greater sense of freedom and roominess which it 

 gives one. Everything is on a large, generous 

 scale. The fields are not so cut up, nor the 

 roadways so narrow, nor the fences so prohibi- 

 tory. Indeed, the distinguishing feature of 

 this country is its breadth: one sees fields of 

 corn or wheat or clover of from fifty to one 

 hundred acres each. At Colonel Alexander's 

 I saw three fields of clover lying side by side 

 which contained three hundred acres : as the 

 clover was just in full bloom, the sight was a 

 very pleasing one. The farms are larger, rang- 

 ing from several hundred to several thousand 

 acres. The farmhouses are larger, with wide 

 doors, broad halls, high ceilings, ample grounds, 

 and hospitality to match. There is nothing 

 niggardly or small in the people or in their 

 country. One sees none of the New York or 

 New England primness and trimness, but the 

 ample, flowing Southern way of life. It is 

 common to see horses and cattle grazing in the 

 grounds immediately about the house; there is 

 nothing but grass, and the great forest trees, 

 which they cannot hurt. The farmhouses 



