Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-23


since, all of which paid expenses, which
is more than can be said of majority of
those held in the State since the war. 1t
Is to be hoped that an increased interest
will be felt in stock growing, and that
the farmers of the county may be stimu-
lated to building better stables. We cav,
with regret, many fine looking cattle
standing knee deep in mud and manure. We
trust also that the Farmers Club may
work conviction in the minds of many
that manure, if applied to crops, may be
rendered more profitable than if left lying
about the lots or suffered to fill up the
stables. OF the
WATER POWER
in the county, we can say but little. For
the purpose of manufacturing, the streams
appear to be either too small or too large.
Elk river, that runs from east to west, is
a magnificent stream but has rather too
large volume of water. During rainy
seasons it spreads out beyond all bounds,
not only endangering the dams that may
be built across it, but sweeping away, by
its resistless torrent, mill houses, Golfer
dams, etc. The other streams, such as
Norris creek, Flint river, Shelton creek
and some others, have a suff1ciency of
water for nine months in the year but are
so reduced in size during the latter part
of summer as to render them worthless
for milling purposes. There is but little,
if any, flour packed in the county for
shipment. Scarcely wheat enough is
raised for home consumption. And this
is not to be wondered at. Upon inquiry,
we found that no drill has ever been
used in the county, and we observed that
most Of the wheat had been sOwn upon
land that had received little if any pre-
paration. 1t is not unusual after the corn
has been gathered from a field to SOW
wheat and run harrow over 1t. The
best land in the world cannot produce
wheat with such preparation. The yield
for the county does not exceed seven
bushels TO the acre, poor return from
land of such fertility. Up to fifty years
ago
TREE SUGAR
in sufficient quantities was made TO supply
the inhabitants. The destruction of the
groves of late years has very nearly put
an end to this branch of industry. Some
SORGHUM
is planted annually and manufactured
into syrup which is consumed largely by
the poorer class. Recent inventions for
converting the juice into sugar make it
possible that this may yet, to consider
able extent, usurp the place of cotton.
Political economy would direct that, at
least, enough should be planted to furnish
the county with sugar and re-
tain at home the thousands of
dollars that are now sent abroad
for that indispensable article. Large
quantities of
arc made in the county, and previous TO
the war found ready sale, at remunera-
tive prices, at the many distilleries that
were then in operation. The severity of
the revenue laws has caused suspension
of business at all these distilleries except
one, and that has had to abandon the
manufacture of whisky from sour mash ard
substitute sweet mash. The consequerc ;
is, that the distinctive characteristics OF
Lincoln county whisky, that riyaled IN
fame sold Robertson or ''Old Bourbon"
are lost and it has fallen back into the
vulgar herd of ''cOrn WHISTLES.
THE FARMERS
are more hopeful than they have been.
Since they have torn from their heart the
love for cotton, they are deyoting more
attention TO Improvements on their places.
Many are planting out large orchards,
sowing more clover, stopping washes,
putting up stone fences, increasing their
stock, sowing hay, planting more corr,
hiring fewer hands, and last, but not
least, becoming TecOnciled TO the situa-
ton. 1t is time for them TO look to their
farms. The exhausting process through
which many of them have passed has I'M
paired their fertility to such an extent
that no crop can be grown proftably upon
them. We observed many hillsides so
washed as 10 be permanently ruined. The
limestone lies very near the surface in
Lincoln county, and when by injudiclous
tillage the soil is washed down TO the I'M
deIlying rock, the lard cannot be re-
claimed except at cost of three or four
times its value. Deep blowing and sub
soiling is a lesson that the farmers Of
Lincoln will have to learn. Shallow
blowing is the direct road TO poverty and
exhaustion. Hillside plOws should be
used, aud team enough employed to plOw
to the depth Of eight or ten Inches, and
behind them, at least once in three or four
years, should be Iun a subsOiler. The
large quantity of limestone rocks that are
lying upon the surface should be broken
into small pieces and spread upon the
surface. l. will be found highly bene-
fetal to the land. This has been tried in
Bedford with marked effect upon worn
soils. One of the most progressive farm
ers of Lincoln said that in subsOiling upon
a hillside, that had been in cultivation for
forty years, he turned up cane roots and
reached virgin soil.
Let the farmers OF that rich old county
rich in all the elements of ,wealth-riCh
in climate, in soil, in society, in history
see TO it that their lands are preserved by
deep blowing, subsOiling and cloYering.
Flowing with one horse upon rolling land
is a suicidal policy. Lst the Farmers
Club, which has been recently organized,
with the most enlightened farmers of the
county at the head of il, take this leading
question into consideration. The very
greatness of the county is involved in it.
The whole of their future prosperity de-
ponds upon it. Their very ,hillsides will
grow power, wealth and greatness for
them if they are preserved. Let them
SOW clover and enrich their lands. Let
intelligence, and not custom, govern.
And then with proper Investigations of
crops aud a jLdiciOus and farsighted
policy in the cultivation of their lands,
new industries will spring up. Their
streams, which are flowing with all their
power to the gulf, will in time be har-
messed and made to work up their pro-
ducts so as to quadruple their value. Not
a single pound of cotton should ever be
exported fr6m Lincoln. Just enough
should be raised to supply the mauufac-
turing establishments of the county and
no more. Just that much win be prOfta-
bic. The greatest drawback to manufac-
turing in the county is the indisposition of
large landhOlders to parting with their
lands. A dense population perhaps is not
desirable, but a population sufficiently
TO carry on every branch of
human industry for which there are natu-
Ial facilities should certainly be en-
couraged. Every foot of laud that
should be cultivated, and is not,
for want Of labOrCTs, is 50 much
loss TO the owner, to the county and to
the State. Every stream that eau turn