Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-07-19
FARM AND GARDEN.
TABLE LANDS AROUND TULLAm

few days spent upon the table lands
abo1t TuEahoma has satisfied us that thest
lands are much moderated and that they
can by proper treatment be made to rejoice
I'm luxuriant and valuable crops. Most Of
the land now in cultivation is poor for the
reason that Il has been ceaselessly cropped
80 year after year by the farmers without re,
ceiying that attention and that care which
,-, reason aud sound sense dictate Should be
given. We observed upon the farm Of oul
former city man, Mr.. Hogan, clover as thrifty
and apple trees as healthy and wheat q
rank IS may ordinarily be seen in the rich
80 Central Basin. The reason is that Mr.. Ho-
. gan, although a city bred gentlemen,
.a5c has not relied upon the native. fer.
ility of the soil, but has freely and
constantly used plaster, sowed clover
and pracLiced such a rotation Of crops
as are ,emunerative. All this country
could be made well adapted to fruit and
wheat growing if kept up with clover or
other fertilizer, but otherwise soon made
uHa barren, for it's substance on decomposing con-
tains no clements of fertility for restoring
Ea the soil. iA anl ne
. the system of irrigation must be introduced.
There is a creek close at hand whose course
can be easily made to flow over fields, ana
IVA with little or no cost. 1t must be dore
sooner or later, and the pioneers in this
resa enterprise win find that they win doubly
reap the reward of their lAbors. There is
constantly going on in the soil an exhaust
ing, and as constantly renovating process
In most soils, under ordinary cultivation,
the exhaustion or removal of plant food,
proceeds more rapidly than the supply.
Such soils therefore tend to become unpro-
ra- ductiye, and to assist in maintaining this
class of soils in state of productiveness,
manures are employed, such as carbonie
acid, ammonia, lime, chloride, potash, etc.
"a In fertile soil al these materials are &C
cessibe to the plant. If one of them be
absent the sell is barren if a substance
which contains the missing body be APP
piled to the soil, it makes tho latter fertile.
How far manure is required for the special
s.l purpose of supplying the soil with food for
vegetation is often difficult to decide. If a
new and good soil is repeatedly cropped until
It ceases to yield remunerative returns, it
may be that the addition of some one sub
stance, lime or potash,or acid,will restore its
fertility. The more ingredients manure
cansupply to vegetation the more useful
It is.Stable manure is the universal and best
fertilizer, because it contains everything
which can feed the plant.
We are well aware that the idea of pay
ing out money for manure is repugnant to
many old fogies who are content to lay be-
hind in the road of progress; but all intel
ligent planters are obliged to see and con-
fess that practical results have established
their unreasonable obstinacy. If an acre
of ground unaided will bring the value Of
S39 in cotton, and by the application of
so in manure you san make il produce
500, there is a clear gain of SAT, after
paying all expenses. Then why do our
farmers hold back? Why not avail them
selves of this new favor commerce has
placed at their command and reap the glo-
rious fruits instead of toiling On year after
year with exploded systems Of culture, and
growing poorer and poorer as time advan-
cesP -errasss /. rgE 1E 49,
Those farmers who succeed best in the
long run, are the ones who have made spec
ialty of some particular branch Of agricul-
ture in which they are best fitted to excel
and have stuck to it as closely as posi-
ble-making that their main reliance for
an income, while other branches hare been
made subordinate to it. Like the student
who acquires a superficial knowledge of
MANY branches of science, while he is
thoroughly acquainted with none, the far
er who hobbies first in one thing and then
iE another,a whim, or fancy may direct, will
find his time wasted to no account, and his
income meanwhile egrowing small by de-
grees, and beautifully less"
II has been remarked that nature fur
nshes us with the rough materials for our
convenience and happiness, but leaves it to
our own industry to work them up for use.
IL we would have rich crops we must
plough and cultivate the soil. If we would
have delicious fruit, the trees that yield it
must be raised and pruned with care. The
grapes win not spontaneously produce wine,
nor the olives oil; all must be the effect of
industry. Nature does nothing in vain;
she does nothing cruel, all her ends are wise
and good; all her means are proper and
conducive TO her ends.
The earth, in general, is compound of
yegstatiye matter, formed by nature, to
n propagate a variety Of plants, and the
salts peculiar to each plant must be ex-
tracted from the earth by each peculiar spe-
cies of liant; for the land may have strength
TO bring sood different crops one after an
other, but il seldom abounds with one kind
- OF salt sufficient TO produce good crop of
the same grain often repeatedly successful
", unless the land Is rich indeed, and the
s. soil, with the climate, well adapted to that
kind of grain which is 50 often repeated;
this remark which viii ever be found true
instruclively points out the indispensable
necessity OF varying crops cflen-n not an
nually.
The foregoing observations are made for
the reason that great advantage is to be ex-
pected towards improving agriculture In our
State. The basis of this new method is
founded on manure, especially that from
lime-and the superstructure is perfected
by abundant crops, and this systematically
done comprises the history of real bus
bandry.
But TO accomplish all this we want lise
men in our midst. This is the great want
Of Tennessee at this time. She wants men
Of enlarged, liberal. living, progressive,
practical ideas Men who viii labor daily
and weekly for the building up Of this