Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-10-13

| PIE Oh Germany conclusively shows that the
nation which utilizes all its forces and en-
courages the employment of every human
faculty IS the one which takes deepest root
and oilers the greatest resistance to storms.
While the example of Persia and Turkey
and Portugal shows that nations which en-
| gage in one pursuit to the comparative NEGLECT
of all others do not have dourishing growth.
and are not capable of resisting adversely
The people of the South should so direct
their future that success will not be contin-
gent upon bountiful harvest from single
crop. They should establish new manufac-
lures, and stimulate those already establish
ed; open new mines, and develop those
already opened; build railroads, and spread
wider the wings Of foreign commerce; and.
most important of all, divide their thousands
of exhausted acres into small farms, and
farm them well.
The South has abundant water-power,
extensive coal fields, and cheap labor. If il
viii but put forth its hand il can success
fully compete with either New England or
Old England in the manufacture of many
articles to procure which it now sends its
money abroad. Especially can il manufac-
ture the coarser grades of cotton fabrics and
shoes for its working classes. In more than
half OF the States lying south.of the Ohio
may be found iron ore of the best quality,
and other valuable minerals. The example
OF Pennsylvania shows how prosperous a
people may become who will manufacture
iron Tennessee NAV become another
pennsylvania, if it will. By EMPLOYING its
hboring population in manufacturing en-
terprises, the South will not only retain
within its own borders the money Of which
it is now depleted, but it will have more to
sell to other countries. And the more it
has to sell, the more miles of railroad will
be built, the more certain and remunerative
viii be the home markets of its farmers,
and the greater viii be the ability Of all its
people to possess themselves Of comforts
and Injuries drawn from every quarter of
! the globe.
But the South needs most to diversity its
! agriculture. By devoting its capital and
energies mainly to the cultivation of cotton,
Il has produced two disastrous results: its
soil has been exhausted, and it has been
compelled to rely upon the West for its
bread and meat. To remedy the first error
will require time and the exercise of the
best brain of the South; but the coneentra-
ton upon small areas of the efforts now
bestowed upon large plantations will
De necessary accompaniment of
all remedial agencies. The second
error of looking to the West for the
| necessaries of life can easily be corrected by
growing allthOse food -producingc rops suited
to the South. There are few States in the
South in which wheat and corn will not do
well; fewer yet in which some of thegrasses
and the various edible roots will not grow.
Cattle and hogs may be raised with profit
where these conditions exist and not the least
OF the profit will be the fertilizing elements
which they will return 10 the soil if confined
to close quarters. An improvement of the
breeds now in general use would increase the
income from these sources. The South also
produces many kinds of fruit and a long
list of the choicest vegetables. Indeed,
there is scarcely a limit TO its fOod-pro-
ducing capabilities. A Southern journal
has recently stated that, with the exception
OF coffee, there is not a product of the soil
pertaining to the tropical or temperate
zones, and which is of real use TO man as
food, which cannot be grown i'm the South.
In the efforts which Southern people NAV
make to improve their agricultural methods
they shall receive my hearty sympathy and
earnest cooperation. Tie Department
over which l have been called TO preside was
established for the benefit OF the schOle coun-
! try, and invite Southern men to look TO it
as to a friend, and to make free use of the
| facilities it offers.
L am, sir, very respectfully,
FREDERICK WATTS,
Commissioner of Agriculture