Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-05-28

Ter aud hard ana lFy IN ssanet. Whitish
IN zspeaianle, ard upon the higher points
rocky to degree as to render them unne
for any purposes but the growth OF am
Der, they are not settled 70 any
extent. Descending tho course o. the
stream the lands improve ia appearance ana
fertility. Indeed, Il would be dlincnlt IN
any State to find soils more kind ana veg
etahle Growth more iuEuTiant than are TO pc
fonnd IIron this stream. The bottoms are
wide, extending sometimes for miles with
scarcely rise that might be caiiea q
second bank, gradually changing character
from bottom lands TO "barren plans. ~
must NOS, however, be understood that the
s'barren plains" are destitute OF tertlIlty.
On the contrary, they are By many pre-
ferred TO the low lands on the streams, es-
peciaIly for the cultivation Of tobacco,
wheat and fruit. @
The character of these barren lands have
undergons a great change during the past
thirty years. 1t was custom with the
early settlers to burn off these lands every
spring In order that the barren grass; a
stroiig, coarse, but nutritious heritage,
might spring up and supply SUD-
mer grazing for their cattle. Dur
ing spring and summer the chimes of a
hundred bells might have been heard as the
cattle browsed ove- the natural meadows.
There were but few trees, and these Of an
inferior kind for timber, being scrub5y black
jack which owing to the thickness OF the
bark is able to resist the prairie fires. There
was no underground and the strawberry
vines laden with fruit in the spring filed
the air with DELIGHTFUL odors. The wild
honeysuckle, lady slipper and wild pinks
Contributed their fragrance and their How
ers to the landscape. The soil however
was poor. A cold clammy whitish soil with
here and there a marshy spot covered with
large water oaks which were protected from
the fires by the dampness of their place of
growth was characteristic of the land in
winter. A few settlers built houses along
the margin of the wet weather streams and
cleared a few acres. In order to protect
their fences, fires were interdicted. A rank
underground Of gum, hazel, hickory and
rcd oak sprung mp. The barren grass dis
appeared. Blackjack died out. Red oaks
and post oaks and hiekories shot up into
the upper air. Several generations Of
leaves fell to the earth and rotted. The
soil blackened. The roots Of the trees pen
etrated the sllbsoil, admitted the air and
gave TO it porosity. A god drainage su-
peryened. Marshy places dried up, and the
land became productive. A region of couI.-
try, south of Lafayette, KY, and lying on
both sides of the old SINNERS Ferry road,
that was once regarded as OF no value
whatever, except as range for cattle, is
now in great demand as farming land.
Your correspondent distinctly remembers
when a COW or horse could be seen for
miles, there being no underground or tim
Der to obstruct the view. 1t is impossible
now to ride on horseback through the
woods. Impenetrable thickets have sprung
up. and all the features which distinguish
ed the landscape thirty years ago, all the
characteristics of the soil at that time have
disappeared.
SWISS COLONY.
On the southern limits of the barren
land above spoken of there is a thrifty col
ony of Swiss, who have recently ilnmigra-
ted to this country and have bought con-
siderable quantity of land--in all over one
thousand acres. There are about thirty
belonging to the colony, and they expect an
addition of 100 families this fall. They
are for the most part employed in dairy
farming. The thrift of the Swiss is pro-
verbal, and a mere inspection of their farms
is sufficient to convince the most skeptical
that they intend to be prosperous if work
and a strict attention to business and econ
envy will secure prosperity. Every place
about them is utilized. Your coTespon-
dent was amused, as well as surprised, 10
find the front hall of the elegant looking
mansion converted into a workshop. A
trap door leads down from this hall into a
cheese cellar, where hundreds OF cases Of
Limburger cheese are seasoning ready for
market. This colony at present milk about
twenty COWS and make about fifty pounds
of cheese per day. a gallon Of milk viii
make one pound Of cheese. Mr.. Uric
Butler, the founder of the colony, is well
pleased with his profits, and the only dis
satisfaction expressed was the want Of rail
road facilities and of educational and reli-
gious advantages. Mr.. Buhler thinks if
these were supplied, there would be no DIFF
fculty in settling all the unoccupied lands
IN the State in short while, with an indus
trious, hardy, enterprising and intelligent
population. Their method of culture is
well suited to the character of land they
work. Their Ia is usually fiat and not
well drained. The top soil is Of pale yel-
loWish hue, with a subsol of angular grave
of a dingy yellow color. 1t will not, with
the usual cultivation, produce the cereals
well, nor tobacco, owing to the tenacious
quality of the soil. Oats do very well, and
SO does clover, the latter penetrating will
its long tap roots the tenacious soil down
to the gravel. Deep cul ure is required t.
secure good drainage and TO get good crops
The Swiss have good plOws, and the!
believe in deep culture. They made, &C
cording to the testimony of old citizens, th'
best crop of corn last year that ever grew
on the place. They SOW clover largely AM
suffer no spot to run to waste. They ar
careful in saving manure and applying it II
such places aud in such manner as VIII o.
the largest amount of good. They brough
many seeds with them from Switzerland
among others, the Esparzetta grass, favor
tie hay and herbage crop in Switzerland
but found the soil unSuited to it here. tn
Esparzetta grass grows somewhat like Gle
yer, with leaf like that Of the sensitiv
plant, and bunch Of small, red papiliO1a
cious blooms arranged in clusters aroun
and at the end Of the stem. 1t will, upo
suitable soils, bear cutting three times
year, and is said to be very nutritious an
much relished by stock.
The improvements made by the colon
show the practical nature Of their mind:
Their gates, stables, garden, cheese house
indeed everything about the premises hay
| nuat, durable, but economical appearance;
| Whatever work can accomplish they per
form. They sell as much as possible, al
! bur as little as possible. What they bu
| is of the best. BY the neighbors they az
much respected. They make good citizens
They pay but little attention to visitor
during the week days, but are very hosp
table on Sunday. MIR. Buhler and b
brothers, of whom there are five, shove
special courtesies to your corresponder
and answered readily any questions asket
They are hopeful Of having good retur
from their dairy so soon as the charact'
of cheese they make is known to the ma
! ket aud their number Of milk stock is il
creased. They are all working people al
| will doubtless do well.
There is another colony of
NORTHERN MEN
on Saline Greek, occupying portion of Il
lands of Lewis Irwin & Co: A few yea
ago, Mr.. George Platte Of Ohio, bought tN
hundred acres of land, and since he bough
! many IF his ola naiobhOrs have fOllOWe