Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-04
IMMIGRATION AND EMIGRATION.

In brief message to the General AS
sembly relating to Bureau Of Agricul-
ture' for the State, Gov. Brown says:
"While other branches of industry have
been fostered and subsidized, the farmer
has been left to grope his way through
doubtful and costly experiments to sue cess,
or to toll on in the same channels, and with
the same implements of former generations,
until bis soil is aoorR to exhaustion and he
reduced TO poverty. Our impoverished
LANDS, and the train of emigrant wagons
moving westward, like a solemn procession,
are sad but unmistaksble evidences OF our
want of wisdom in not sooner bringing sci
ence and the experience of older communi-
ties to the farmers assistance. We have
no time to lose, if we would retain our ma
tive population and invite accessions from
abroad"
We could not ask better text or a more
inviting and suggestive subject for popular
and elaborate discussion than the above.
ToiIing on in the same channels until the
soil is exhausted, and its owner reduced to
poverty and forced to emigrate or stArve, is
picture of Tennessee farming more truth
full than Aattering. But there is not one
element in the whole transaction that is Pc
culiar to this State, or the United States.
When England had i've million inhabitants
there were about 100000 land owners
among them; but now with some twenty
million people there are not over 600
holders of real estate. In Ireland and
Scotland the big fish eat up the little ones
In the same way. From the settlement OF
the Cavaliers in Virginia, and the Puritsns
In Massachusetts,, the British islands have
been distinguished for planting distant col
onies and successful emigration. The En-
glish language gives law to so large part q
North America, that it is only question Of
TINA when it must absorb Mexico,
and extend its laws and institu.
tions to the ship cana soon to be
made between the Atlantic and the Pacific
oceans. This wonderful growth and pro
gress have been achieved at great sacrifice
of fertility in Great Britain and America
In the face Of an emigration that reduced
the population Of Ireland some millions
and held powerful check on any increas'
In England and Scotland, the official re
turns show that the average alnuali import
of wheat aud -four into the United King
dom during the decade preceding 1881, wa
only $4,000 quarters of eight bushels each
In the next decade ending 1e41, the i'm
ports OF wheat and -four were 900, 900 quar-
tiers. In the next decade 1851, the aver
age annual imports were 2,94S 900 quar-
tiers. The next decade ending in 1861
shows an average of 5,030,000 quarters
The next ending in 1871, shows an average
of $4,000 quarters. The importation o
other Hsorts of corn" shows this result
During the decade preceding 1881, the i'm
portations were $4,000 quarters a year
During the ten years preceding 1871, tn
average was 6,7l7,0OO quarters. While the
population of the United King ion
about doubled its numbers in fft
years, their importation of breadstufs il
creased nearly nineteen fold The larg
importation OF cattle feed, of which fit
million bushels of Indian or American cor
may be named for the year 1872, and th
importation of meat from Australia and tn
country goto prove that the soil of OF
race In Old England is indeed sadly depleted
No man or number of people need fftee
times more grain and meat in 1871 tba
they needed in 1881.
Our Tennessee folly in exhausting II
soil that feeds and clothes Us, is simply II
extension of European folly TO this cont
nent. 1t belongs TO the infancy of ciyiliv
ton aud the night Of science.
Farmers who are 10 the dawn Of science
who see, feel and comprehend its powe
are able to increase the resources and frai
fulness of their lands for the public benet
as well as for their own. Every plantt