Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-08-18

Wen" and "stOnc Fort theological
Formations, Etc, Etc.
Couespondeuee Of the Union and Amerieau.l
WAYsIDE, CoFFEE COUNTY, AugUst II,
lo66.-f there is a section where fruit
never fails, where apples, plums, peaches,
are grCwn every years. not that place en-
titled 10 the distinction par eninence Of the
fruit region Of the United States2 And, if
fruit trees live there and bear fruit for a pc
riod Of half a hundred years, is not that
an additional title to such eminent distinc-
tion2
viii state facts-such as 1 have within
my own Misunderstanding reference also
TO witnesses OF unimpeachable credIbility,
and then furnish brief views Of the tOpo-
graphy, soils-healthiness Of the section Of
the county to which / allude, and Of which
/ venture a prediction, fifty wears hence, to
be verifed-that this very region Of country
now held In low estimate, will be the gar
den-spot Of Tennessee"
Twelve years ago, 1S48,) I purchased
some six or seven thousand acres Of the
" Barren" Of Coffee county. Upon one Of
the tracts, well known as the "McNurtry
Place" is an old apple and plum orchard.
McM. settled there about the year 1901
over sixty years ago-and set out an orchard
9f several hundred trees, apples, peaches
plums, etc The place is five miles north Of
Manchester. Fires, by which this country
has often been damaged, overran the Mem.
place, and many years since destroyed the
most Of the fruit trees planted in 1904 to 1906.
There remains, however, Of the original
orchard about dUzen trees-large and hand
some treez-which / know have yielded
fair crop erery year Of the twelve past, and
there are hundreds Of persons born and
living in this county, who viii testify that TO
their knowledge these trees have borne
fruit, more or less, every year within their
knowledge extending over period Of from
twenty to forty years-about every third or
Gith year, having full yield. In 1861, and
ia this year and think also in 1854, some
Of these trees were laden as l never saw
trees In Ohio or elsewhere.
The late venerable patriarch and pioneer,
DANIEL HARPO0L deceased in April last
aged "a years., lived and died upon his land
adjoining Wayside and but a mile and a
half from the McMURTY place He often
told me that fruit had been YIELDED from
those trees every year for more than half q
century. This fzct cannot be doubted.
These are not engraited trees, but seed
lings two Of the trees yielded sweet, the
others. apples of pleasant aoidity, and they
are not degenerated into little bullet-sized
fruit" hard and knotty, but full, even and
round, and hang on ill maturity. They
make good cider and bake well.
The peach trees were long since destroyed.
As 20 the healthiness-the facts already
stated answer that question, at least in 50 far
as frGit trees are concerned. But look al
the trees trunks sound, bark smOth, limbs
alive 10 the very ends Of the twigs foliage
grecu-irecr now, in their venerable age,
from decay rOughness, dead-wOOd, withered
branches, than most trees Of half their age in
the Northern orchards. These have
never been pruned, at least there are no
marks to indicate such an operation. IL is
contrary 10 usual experience that trees
crowded with small limbs and twigs should
bear much fruit and Of good size. 1t is
probable theseold fruit bearers would be reiu-
vonatcd by pruning, and thereafter yield
much larger apples were they thoroughly
pruned-aud yet more, II richly muchcd.
Other old orchards in this vicinity are noted
for frcquoutabundant yield, and l believe
annual crop 20 some extent
/ doubt not that the f1llea applc-tree in the
United States, is in this county. Imusi
2
sixty-lect high, and not more than fifteen
inches In diameter, long straight trunk, with
moderate top; as TO bearing, / know moth
ing.
It's a reproach. a shame. that, with the
fact so generally known Of the productive
uess Of fruit trees In Middle Tcnnesse, anc
especially in these Highlands, that such insig
nifcant orchards are 10 be seen rarely
4. ID ~ aaH.r al
trees bv the garden ard some peach trees il
fence-corners, make an orchard, or an apollo
gy, wyich ought not to be accepted.
II / could exercise the power Of Radi
cal Congress or Legislature, / would, for Oh,
promotion Of health, enjoyment life and
Ieacc. and profit 10 the owners, and common
veal impose penalties upon the owner o
every homestead Of fifty dollars, who shoulC
own and reside upon his place three year
and neglect 90 set ont ten fruit trees for him
self and wife III a bachelor, fifty treesl anC
five for each child, until the number Of tree
should be fifty.
As 10 mulchingo Of fruit trees-such a kind
ness is barely heard Of in Tennessee. tn,
nearest approach 60 il is by throwing som,
dry manure around the foot, or trunks Of thu
trees. Common sense AM happy experi
cncc teach us 10 work in the manure, five
ten and fifteen feet from the body Of the tree
then the pillow, the hoe, and the hog shoul
help in further culture.
The finest fruit ever shown at TcnDessc
Fairs was produced from DOpGE's orcharJ
upon the mountain plateau, SIX hundre
feet above these highlands and we hay
some trees from that nursery, as also iroI
the reliable nurseries of TEyETT, LIsHY an
a u ..H ..rHH HFH ]
Is bearing well this year; few o. the tre'
hcayily-and plums ovefburdened. Is no
this carly and ample remuneration
It's gratifying that more attention is b
ing given 20 fruit culture in this part Of q
State. bat IL Is not half what it should b
and pay promptly and well.
A long and heavy complaint goes mp iror
our Mother thagainst the shameful, waste
ful, ruinous treatment she has received 4
half q century In these Southern States b
naked culture IN raising tobacco, cotton an
corn-hy which crops more of the element
ufsoil essential 60 the growth Of these crops
cyaporaied hy action of sun and air than
the growth of these plants. More ON the
points hereafter.
TUE MODEL WELL AND "SrONE PORT
This is the appropriate name given TO q
well now being sunk bv Mr.. w. S HUGGIr
at Manchester. Mr. HUGGDs was Undue,
90 undertake. the boring here, for oil, AFT
exploration of the ground by Professor SA
FoRn and other gentlemen. The locality
one Of very interesting and remarkable ic
turcs, geographically and otherwise. He
the tive streams which hud their hcs
springs ia the B1rreEs, a highland OF toh'
county. land. united, form the Duck river
come within a hundred wards Of a iuucti,
near Manchester. They are kept apart at Oh
narrow point by a ridge some eighty feet
height-thenCp, each stream plunges ov
falls OF twenty 90 thirty-three feet. The su
ccssivc falls IN each ct these streams, with
miles distance, In the aggregate for ca
stream. arc over one hundred feet Partl
at the narrow neck of land, the streams, wi
lirh bluff banks. enclose a level piece
land OF about thirtv-scvcn acres, whcreou
constructed that remarkable work, i
Stone Fort" of the builders of which
history ur tradition inform us. The q
trance o. this extensive work is at the o.,
row isthmus above named. The long wal
which are upon the edges of the bluffs, q
closing the level ground mentioned, h'
aruraach within twenty feet OF each oth
terminating in mounds. llcrcis the hrst,
outer opening or entrance. Within tins d
regular turrcttc or semI-Clrcular wall, Do.
ipr its mounds. and around either end n
ncxt 20 the main walls, are the pass-w,
into the grounds. Here as at many on