Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-09-05
FACTS ABOUT EAST TENNESSEE.
NO. xXXvT.

few weeks since, isa very interesting coun-
try. We have recently had the pleasure
of visiting that locality ourselves, and
though our correspondent may overesti-
mate the advantages in some respects
we are forced to the conclusion that
for stock raising country, this is unsur
passed in the State. The wild grass, three
feet in height, stands thick upon thousands
of acres, and furnishes a nutritious
pasture for cattle, hundreds of which we
saw in fine condition. We believe that
for this business these Cumberland table
lands will give satisfaction. Many immi-
grants have already gone there, and find
ing land SO cheap, they have invested all
their capital in land, thus rendering them
selves, in the language of a Northern gen.
tleman we conversed with there, Gland
poor" This is wrong, and in the future it
will be avoided, no doubt. Stock, and
not so much land, is what is needed.
We were also struck with the thrifty
appearance of all kinds of fruit trees on
the mountain. Many of the immigrants
! have established nurseries which appear
| in very thriving condition. Grapes seem
| to thrive with little or no attention. We
have no doubt but that the time is near at
hand when this will be the fruit-growing
country of the South.
Mr.. Powell sends US another letter which
we take pleasure in laying before our
readers, and invite attention to it.
CROSSVILLE, CUMBERLAND Co., Tenn,
August II, 1871.
Messrs Rule and Kicks:
GENTLEMEN-For several years past, /
have had large correspondence with the
people of the various Northern States, and
have been frequently inquired of, for
what are these table lands best adapted ?"
To the same inquiry, if made now, /
should reply: For stock raising, dairy
business and fruit culture; and for each of
these departments of business this locality
is admirably adapted. Ride through our
vast forests to-day, and one finds an al
most unbroken carpet of fresh and nu-
'ritiOus wild grass, besides a variety of
weeds, which are as much sought for, in
their season, as the grass itself; such, for
instance, as the wild pea-vine, red-root,
and beggar's lice. These various articles of
stock food give flesh rapidly.
Our native farmers are careless of their
stock in the winter, giving but little food;
and as a result, their stock comes into the
spring in very low condition of flesh.
This very same stock before August be-
comes fat, and entirely so on the grasses,
&C., of the woods. Such facts demon
strate the Importance and profit of stock
raising as q business on these table lands.
AT the present time there is scarcely linn
it to our forest pasturage. The safety of
the business is assured by the healthful- !
ness of the various kinds of stock, viz /:
horses, cattle, sheep and swine. Our |
climate seems to assure the health of |
these animals as certainly as it does |
that of man. To be otherwise than in q |
condition of health, in this pure atmos- |
phere, man must in some way abuse him |
self. Cattle are not apt to act foolishly as
man is, and therefore are exempt from |
the penalties inflicted upon man for his |
excess and follies.
In the spring of the year l have fire.
quently seen cattle turned out to the range,
SO low in flesh and with so little strength |
that they could scarcely walk, and in July
or August have seen those same cattle
fat. Their only food was found on the
range of course it was nutritious.
But we need not depend upon the range
as our pasture ground, because we can,
with complete success, raise clover, timo
thy, red top, orchard grass, &c. Glover is,
with us, perennial plant. Not so at the
North, where it will scarcely remain in the
ground and flourish for a consecutive term
of three wears. L think there are but few,
if any, places at the North where more
pounds of hay per acre are produced than
can be raised on the lands of this county.
Our citizens are going into the business of
seeding their land to grass in right good
earnest. And this is intended as prelimi-
nary to the dairy business, and more par
ticularly to the manufacture of cheese.
Some of our citizens are prepared to COM
mence the cheese making business next
spring This is true of one gentleman,
formerly from Ohio, who during the past
two or three years has been seeding his
land to grass, preparatory to cheese max
ing. He will commence, in few months,
with twenty-five COWS, and being qualified
by experience in the business of cheese
making, and being also a man of much
energy, and withal very industrious, his
success can scarcely be doubted.
There is one particular neighborhood in
this county, made up of citizens from
eight or ten of the Northern States, who
intend to cooperate, and have their cheese
factory next season.
Why should not the manufacture of
cheese here be made a lucrative business?
Our land is low in price, our winters short
and mild, our streams numerous, and the
water thereof pure, soft and sweet, our
seasons for business long, our nights cool,
uniformity so, and the whole South for a
market. There are those amongst us who
thoroughly understand the business. [
doubt not it is soon to become one of the
most important interests of this county,
and one of large value. There is room for
thousands to engage in the business, and
instead of harming, they will benefit each
other. F-s
A man of moderate means can engage in
the business with land at five dollars per
acre, who would be efectually excluded
from it on land at two hundred dollars,
except as renter. In the one case he must
share the profits of the business with
another person; in tbs other he owns the
land lie uses, and has all the product of
his labor. The North abounds with men
who could not buy and pay for ten acres