62 



RESOURCES OF TENNESSEE. 



500 feet beneath the upland plain on either side. Much of this valley is 

 above the reach of ordinary floods and it is largely cleared and farmed, 

 though there are parts that are low and Swampy. 



THE FLOOD PLAIN OF TFIE MISSISSIPPI. 



Except at the three bluffs above mentioned, there is a variable width 

 of flood plain between the western edge orf the upland plain of West Ten- 

 nessee and the Mississippi River. Near the banks of the river, this flood 

 plain is high enough to remain above water in all but the highest floods. 



II 



FIG. 8. View of the Mississippi River at Memphis. 



Much of this part is cultivated. Farther back from the river the eleva- 

 tion is less and the surface is frequently flooded. It is poorly drained and 

 swampy and is not cleared. With the perfection of the levee system and 

 the drainage of the lower parts, this rich alluvial land should produce im- 

 mense crops and support a large population. 



THE THREE GRAND POLITICAL DIVISIONS OF THE STATE. 



The features of the State lend themselves easily to a three-fold division 

 for political purposes that has been long recognized and observed. The 



