Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-09-19
FARM AND GARDEN.
TENNESSEE AGRIGULTURE.

As matter of general information, all
Teunesseesns should take interest enoneil
in their State to learn its progress as shown
by the census returns Of 1910, 1850, 1860
and 1870. The true reason why this pro-
gress has been so small when compared
with thato many other States, is because
Tennessee farmers have not fairly consider
ei the value Of industrial statistics, whether
relating to agriculture or manufactures
By knowing the acres Of improved land In
a StaDe, and the amount Of corn, wheat,
',ton, tobacco and other staples raised at
the end Of each decade, we see whether
on crops increase or decrease for the sur
face under cultivation.
OF the twenty-nine million acres in our
Safe, only 6,s4S, 27s were returned in 1870
as improved" 1t Is an important ques-
ton for practical farmers to decide how few,
or many acres Of the land under fence have
been so cultivated and managed since first
plowed, as to be more productive now by
the skill and labor Of man than nature
made them? Have we really added to the
things in the ground that form wheat, cot
ton and tobacco, or consumed and removed
these fertilizing elements, and made the
land poorer in plant food than we found
it? If The whole truth in this matter were
told, would the word "iDsprOred" express
the change which the soil has undergone /?
As a general fact, the word impoverished
to greater or less extent, By tillsge, wash
ing rains and the removal Of crops, would
tell the story about right.
The natural resources Of the soil are
large share Of our capital, and the main de-
pendence of our children and our children's
children for the necessaries Of life. How
can the present owners or occupiers of Ten
nessee lands diminish their fruitfulness and
not do their posterity and the public q Sc
rious Injury? Can any industrial problem
be palmer than this? Is it unkind TO call
attention to the fact that while our labor
has multiplied and depleted old fields by
the nillion acres for an Inheritance, our
wan: OF financial judgment has led us to
cover these less than seven million acres of
producing lands with State and county
debts varying from five to eight dollars per
acre as a mortgage for our posterity to pay2
Mistakes of this magnitude call loudly
for searching investigation, that the people
of every county may see their errors, and
do better in all the future. A common
mistake lies in relying too much on corn
for keeping farm stock, and too little on
grass and clover raised for pasture and
meadows, and to make manure. Flowing
land for hoed crops like corn, cotton and
tobacco, tends to wear it out, and form bad
gullies in many places. Land that has q
good sod does not wash, while the long
roofs Of clover and the dense turf of grass
develop great deal of plant food in the
s1il, which is the cheapest manure known.
a crop Of weeds is worth but one-tenth
part SIS much as a crop of clover to enrich
land.
Our sheep raised on sedge and briers
shog by the last census that they yield
their owners only one pound and three
quarters Of wool per head, take the State
together. With the best heritage and
proper care, a clip Of four or five pounds
fleece might be had Just as easily; while
Tennessee can feed ten times more sheep
than her farmers now have.
Our land must be made TO yield larger
income, or by an excess of taxation, or In
some other way, it is likely to pass into
other hands. Extensive pastures OF orchard
grass, tall oat grass, sleeps fescue and
others, will make Tennessee a very sue
cessfrd grazing State. We plow too much
and seed too little, to improve our farms.
We ought to have ten million acres in
clover and grass for stock.
In word, our highest wisdom appears to
go only to the extent ofmaking Tennessee
a State to emigrate fren by the steady con-
sumption of its natural fertility. When
shall we all unite in a common effort to
reform this great and obvious error in our
system of farming? A few men can not
possibly cure an evil 80 general, so deep
seated, so entirely constitutional in our ma
ture: The thinking powers of the masses
must be awakened on this subject; and the
Press should be assisted to do It's perfect
work in this noble agricultural State.