FBANKLHSr COUNTY. 127 



two miles north of Benton afford an excellent quality of freestone, that 

 hardens by exposure, dresses easily, and becomes a durable and hand- 

 some building stone. Sandstones of fair quality for common use may 

 be found on nearly all the streams and more especially on the East Fork 

 and its tributaries. 



Lime. — The only outcrop of limestone suitable for the lime kiln that 

 we saw in this county was found about two miles a little south of west 

 from Frankfort- Only about three feet in thickness of the upper part 

 of the bed was uncovered, but it is probably from six to ten feet thick 

 when fully exposed. The rock is a hard, gray, rather evenly bedded 

 limestone, and has been quarried in a small way for building stone, but 

 I saw no evidence that any attempt had been made to manufacture 

 lime from it here. It seems to be somewhat argillaceous, and might 

 not slack freely when burned. 



Soil and Agriculture. — There is considerable variety in the character 

 of the soils of this county, though there is probably not a section of 

 land within its limits that would not yield a fair return to the hus- 

 bandman for the labor necessary to bring it into cultivation. The 

 botom lands are rather low and subject to overflow, and are therefore 

 somewhat neglected. The prairies are generally small and rather level, 

 and are often surrounded by a limited area of post oak plats, which 

 have a thin soil and are generally regarded as the poorest lauds in the 

 county. The prairies have a more productive soil, but are inferior to 

 the best timbered lands. For all farming purposes the rolling timbered 

 lands that were originally covered with a growth of oak and hickory 

 interspersed with black walnut, elm, linden, wild cherry, honey locust, 

 sassafras, etc., are more productive, and will bear continued cultivation 

 without artificial stimulants longer than any other uplands in this por- 

 tion of the State. 



The soil and agricultural products of this couuty are very similar to 

 those of Williamson, though somewhat less attention is given here to 

 the cultivation of tobacco, and cotton is only grown for home consump- 

 tion. Stock raising, in the absence of railroad facilities for the trans- 

 portation of flour and grain to market, is perhaps the most profitable 

 branch of farming now, and beef and pork constitute a large part of 

 the farm products of the county at the present time. Well improved 

 farms can be purchased here at prices ranging from ten to twenty-five 

 dollars per acre, and at these figures should command the attention of 

 those who are seeking to invest in lands already under cultivation. 



To Major Wji. Mooneyham, of Benton, I am uuder obligations for 

 much valuable information in regard to points of especial interest in 

 this county. 



