Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-11-29
FACTS ABOUT EAST TENNESSEE.
Stock Raising.
No. XIVII,

NO. xLvII.
We have alluded to this subject in for
mer articles, but it's great Importance de-
serves special notice. East Tennessee is
naturally better adapted to stock raising
in all its branches, than any other part of
the South, except the blue grass region of
Kentucky. The climate is mild, the sum-
mers being neither too hot nor the winters
too cold. Thus but little shelter is needed
at any season and feeble animals are not
injured by either extreme of tenn
perature. The variety of soil and ele-
walton affords the best variety for raising
stock of all Kinds. On the fertile river
bottoms large quantities of corn are grown
every year with which hogs are fattened.
On the higher, rolling lands and in the
the valleys fine grass grows, where cattle
may pasture, and the small farmers pro-
duce large quantities of hay, oats and fod-
der upon which they are fattened in win
ter. On the mountains wild grass is very
abundant, affording vast pasture fields for
sheep and cattle. Hogs are raised on the
higher lands until pretty well grown and
when they will weigh about $50 or
200 pounds are bought up by the farm
ers owning large crops of corn on
the river bottoms and fattened. They
are fed here until they weigh from $50 to
$50 pounds and then driven to market on
foot across the Smoky Mountain into
North and South Carolina or shipped by
railroad to the Gulf States Most of the
latter go to Georgia. Others are slaugh-
tered at Knoxville and other points and
the pork is sent South in picked state.
Others still are fattened in small numbers
by farmers all over the country and the
Overplus is collected and sent South or sold
in the home market in the form of bacon,
The income from hog raising to East Ten
pessee is already considerable, but not
Nl,sw L I
hog-raising sections are Cooke county,
(which outstrips any other locality Pow
ellis Valley, in Campbell and Claiborne
counties, Little River, in Blount county,
and the low lands on the rivers generally
Two classes of hogs are fattened. The
first class are those fed upon corn. They
are put into the market in November and
December. The other class, are fattened
on the mast and come from the mountains,
where that food is abundant. They arrive
at market in January and February. These
last are smaller and their meat is not con-
sidered so good as the corn-fed hogs.
Cattle are raised principally in valleys
and the coves of the mountains.
The idea seems to have prevailed at the
North that East Tennessee is not grass
country. This is great mistake. Grass
grows everywhere, both wild and Gull
tlvated grasses. The commons around
Knoxville where the armies encamped
during the late war are every summer COW
cred with the finest kind of grass and af-
ford pasturage for all the mich cows in the
city. ID t. #-.ff
During the summer large lots of cattle
are sometimes collected and driven to the
mountains where pasturage is foundabund-
ant in a wild state.
During the winter they return to the
lower lands and are fattened for market.
Young cattle can be wintered with only q
small feeding of hay or oats. Many live
on corn husks and straw only, added to
what they get in the fields. Blount, Sc
Vier, Anderson and Hawkins counties raise
a large number of cattle. The dairy bust
ness is yet in its infancy. The only estab-
Iishments of any consequence are those of
Messrs. Harold, of jefferson county, and
Drew, of Morristown. They manufacture
cheese and find that it pays we'll There
is great opening here for this business.
The mountain lands are most suited for
sheep raising. There is no business of that
kind here. Nothing would pay better than
sheep raising on the Cumberland Noun
tains. The Smoky Mountains are not so
well adapted. 1 .f
Almost all farmers produce some wool.fof
home use, but none is exported. Sheep
need but little feeding in winter. In moist
meadows there is always green grass grow
ing upon which they feed. Large herds
would, of course need more attention.
Horses are raised by farmers generally,
but not in such numbers as formerly. The
same may be said of mules. The great
body of stock in East Tennessee is what is
called "scrub" stock. Improved breeds
are only partially introduced. Mr.. n. It.
Beal, of Hawkins county, is doing an ex-
cellent business by raising and introdu-
cling fine stock. Some other farmers are
doing the same in smaller way. Just
now there is a fine opening for the stock
raiser in East Tennessee.