To His Excellency, Gov. A. S. Marks : 



The original work issued from this office, entitled 

 "The Grasses of Tennessee," including Cereals and Forage 

 Plants, was so popular that the meatis at my disposal were 

 entirely inadequate to supply the demand from the farmers 

 throughout the State. The members of the last House of 

 Representatives having frequent calls for them from their 

 constituents, passed a resolution authorizing me to publish 

 seven thousand five hundred copies for their use, but requir- 

 ing the expense of such publication to be paid out of the 

 annual appropriation made to this department. As this ap- 

 propriation was not immediately available, I was compelled 

 to wait until a sufficient sum had accumulated to the credit 

 of the department before putting this brochure to press. 

 It is believed that for most farmers this little work will be 

 as useful as the larger and more scientific manual, of which 

 this is an abridgement. In this all the scientific terms have 

 been excluded, and descriptions of all grasses of doubtful 

 utility have been omitted. This edition embraces five thou- 

 sand copies, and their distribution will no doubt increase 

 the growing desire of our farmers to engage more largely 

 in the cultivation of the grasses, at once the sign and sup- 

 port of a vigorous civilization. 



Very truly, 



J. B. KiLLBBEEW. 



November, 1880. 



