INTRODUCTORY. 
State of Tennessee. 
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 
Office of Commissioner, 
Nashville, July 2, 1894. 
Soon after entering upon the office of Commissioner of Agriculture, and 
upon looking over the extensive field of work assigned this department ot 
the State Government, my attention was called to the fact that one im- 
portant industrial resource of Tennessee had been entirely overlooked. It 
has so happened that within the past twenty years the medical profession 
throughout the entire Union has awakened to the efficacy of indigenous 
medicinal plants. During this period also immense capital has been in- 
vested in great pharmaceutical establishments for the purpose of ex- 
amining and bringing into use new remedies from all parts of the world. 
It has long been known that Tennessee, both by reason of its topography 
and its geological location, is peculiarly rich in its Flora. Its climate may 
be described by calling it the water-shed between North and South. Hence, 
it abounds in plants belonging specially to both sections. Again, as haviug 
the highest mountain range East of the Rockies, much variety is added to 
its vegetable wealth. To in some degree utilize and render available to our 
people the rich stores of wealth locked up in the medicinal plants of Tennes- 
see in such manner as not only to interest the ordinary citizen, but to meet 
the demand for specific knowledge upon the subject, this work has been un- 
dertaken, with the hope and confident expectation that the labor bestowed 
upon it will serve to diffuse among our people a better knowledge of their 
