Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-12-03
FIELD AND FARM.
Rural Itenss

We have again been visited by several
gentlemen from the north, both from
Pennsylvania and Indiannia. They SEEM
ed well pleased with this country, especi-
ally with our mild and salubrious climate,
but think improvements are yet lacking to
bring it with and equal to their own coun-
try, but we hope ere many years our coun-
try will equal if not surpass some of those
northern and western countries, as we
have the material to improve it with much
less expense. All that is now wanted is for
man to bring it as near to state of perfec-
ton as possible. 1t will then he one of
the most desirable countries in the Union.
1t may not excel some of those western
prairies for beauty but let US consider the
value of our healthy climate, and many
other advantages over that and other
coutries.
The soil of this country is naturally of
a good quality but hundreds of acres have
been exhausted for want of proper treat
ment, viz: by the continued use of the
bull tongue and lack of attention paid in
lining and manuring. There may be
some soils that always proves fertile with
out either of the above, such as river bot
toms, &c, but upland will naturally lose
its fertility by continual farming without
proper Regeneration. We have noticed
farms produce crops year after year with
out fertilizer, but alas! the time has
come when it produces only sage grass and
numerous places nothing at all is seen but
the red soil, or subsoil, which proves eX-
ceedingly bad to the eye of the prospector.
| have lived and travelled through differ
ent parts of the north and have never yet
seen the land to stand the treatment this
land has and yet produce what it does.
| consider it of much stronger quail
lty than any L have yet seen,
but nevertheless, fertilizer is required if
wish / In Ua
crops. In certain parts of the North,
straw, hay, corn fodder (cOrn being cut
and many bushels of grain are annually
converted into manure by means of fat
tening cattle. We have known thirty,
and upwards, head of cattlebeing fattened
on farm of two hundred acres, gaining
from one hundred and fifty TO three hun
bred pounds each, tie farmer also having
probably six or eight head of horses be-
side the cows and young cattle in his pos
session. Their stock is stabbed and fed
frequently four or five months of the year.
The stables are generally divided into
stalls, where they are tied and are well
bedded with straw every evening. Man
ure is taken out of the stalls twice week,
by means of a sled or large fork, into the
barn yard, where it is left until after har-
vest. The straw has then became Totted,
when it is conveyed to the field. 1t is
then and there spread. / have noticed
manure spread over fields almost appear
ing like plowed field from a distance, but
these being extreme cases. But much yet
depends on putting the ground in proper
state OF cultivation, which we think Out
this is merely our Opinion) can only be
done by the turn-plow, harrow and roller,
and the grain sowed with the drill.
Farming is an art which must not only
be studied, but practiced, to make to make
it a success. A certain writer says:
Tired natures wheat restorer is not sleep,
but manure FELIX.
LoYeville, Knox County, Tennessee.