(6) 



holds good only of the cultivated grasses, but of these it is 

 perhaps universally true. 



Under this test the agricultural system of Tennessee falls 

 very low. It is a notable fact, often observed and com- 

 mented upon, that the great leading, dominating error in 

 the farming of Tennessee has been, and is, the putting too 

 much land in corn and oats, and too little in grass. Under 

 this system a very large breadth of the land has been well- 

 nigh ruined. Indeed, the damage is so serious that some 

 change has come to be absolutely necessary. Judging from, 

 the experience of other countries, the one and only thing 

 capable of redeeming this almost ruined land and saving the 

 farmers from absolute bankruptcy, is grass. 



Fortunately, the climate, soil and geographical locality 

 of Tennessee all combine to render it by nature a grass 

 ■ region. In all the essentials to success in this great branch 

 of agriculture, but few sections of the United States surpass 

 East and Middle Tennessee, while the northern part of 

 West Tennessee is well suited to many grasses. It is not 

 unreasonable to anticipate at no distant day, under an im- 

 proved system of farming, these natural capabilities will be 

 thoroughly and judiciously developed, and where now are 

 only vast wastes and forest wilds, trackless and unculti- 

 vated, rich pastures will bloom and countless cattle roam. 

 But no such result can come without a radical change in 

 the system of farming. 



From the circumstance of the peculiar position of Ten- 

 nessee as a border State to the cotton belt, she has lost much 

 time in agricultural progress. The large returns of the 

 cotton planters South, and the wonderful ease with whicb 

 they achieved great wealth, induced those living near to 

 attempt the same role that succeeded so well further south. 



Tennessee possesses in her bosom all the elements of a 

 grazing country. Scarcely a foot of land exists in all her 

 borders that will not in an eminent degree meet the wants 

 of some one or other of the grasses. Living streams of 



