The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1870-02-03
THE ENTERPRISE.
sWEETwATER, THURSDAY, FEB. 5, 1870
The wheat Crop in East Tennessee,

NOAoAaho VI WV
KnOxvil.e Wing, we copy the following ar
ticle in regard to the prospects of a good
Wheat crop in East Tennessee, and COM
mend it to the careful perusal of our read
ers and farming friends:
"one gratifying fact We have to COM
municateTto our readers and that is, that
we have never known the wheat crop to
look SC we'll { ithis season of the year.
The winter, thus far, instead of damaging
it, has been favorable to il. There has
been many warm days which have pushed
forward its growth, and now and then, a
good snow, which has protected it. There
have been no hard and severe freezes to
interfere with the roots, and taking all
these favorable combinations of weather
together, the wheat crop has been highly
favored. Fortunate, indeed, especially
when we remember that the farmers, BY a
train Of circumstances which they could
not control, sowed their wheat very late.
They first had q long drouth to grapple
with, and then with a dreary wet spell,
so between the two, they well nigh failed
in their hopes and aims to get out much
of a crop. However, they were diligeut,
and improved the golden moments, and
thus, in the intervals of the dry and wet
weather they sowed an extensive breadth
of wheat and if no untoward circumstan.
res follow, the crop next season, will be
abundant.
We have often alluded to the fact that
East Tennessee could not be surpassed by
airy other section in the Union, in its
adaptation to the wheat culture. There
are sections, doubtless, where more is pro-
duced to the acre, but none where a purer
and finer article is raised. In the scales
it always draws down heavily, and, when
converted into -four, it has no equal. The
wheat of the Northwestern section is
rarely ever thoroughly developed. 1t is
a misfortune, as We think, that our ad-
vantages, in the respects alluded to, are
not more fully appreciated. Some few
years before the war, our section had be-
come noted for the superior excellence of
its wheat, and it was sought after in the
most distant markets. At the great Fair
in Europe, it took, in the form of -four,
the highest premium. There is no wheat,
unless it be that produced in the great
Western slope, including Oregon and
California which will bear, so we'll as ours,
transportation beyond the seas. Again
and again it has found its way into foreign
ports just as sound and pure as the day it
was shipped.
If the farmers of East Tennessee have
such encouraging facts touching this great
cereal in their section, why should they
not bestir themselves and use every effort
to introduce more marked improvements
and bring the culture Of wheat to a still
higher standard ? They are, as we believe
and declare, yet in their infancy in this
department of agricultural enterprise.
There are heights yet before them which
they have not scaled. True, they have
made some progress, and, but for the war
would have been to-day far ahead of theil
present attainments. Too much Deepen.
dence must not be put in natural advan.
tages. Where these exist, as they I'M
questionably do here, the more earnest eff
forts should be made. There can be NJ
doubt that constant changes should b,
made in the variety of seed. No one va
riety should be continued too long. A
change from one neighborhood to the 9th
er sometimes has a valuable effect; blu
far removed, the benefit is more striking
Retaining the same seed for a series o
years is much the same as perpetuatinI
the same breed of stock, which will inevi
tably degenerate.
We have been surprised to witness tn
energy with which the farmers are prose
cutting their work. We heard of one VIII
had already "broken ups one hundre
acres of soil for corn. Everywhere tn
broad marks Of the "bar-shear" are to b
seen. We tell you that this noble elias
are not idle; and if let alone-that is t
say, not disturbed by the rashness Of pc
litical mischief-makers--they will yet com
up and march on to success in their busi
ness. They plead for tranquility, and de
preciate and denounce all disturbers {
the peace of the country. We will neve
be a prosperous people until agricultur
can once more resume its normal condi
ton. When we can squarely settle dow
to work, get farms in good order, intro
duce new races, of stock, and have til
stin,ulatiuo afocfa Of a,ccaesfnI Eoire mn