Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-08-20
FACTS ABOUT EAST TENNESSEE.
About the Farms and Farmers of
Hawkins County.
NO. CXVIII.

During recent visit to Hawkins county
we improved the opportunity to eX-
anime some of the farms aud gather
information concerning some of the far
mers and the resources Of that county. 1t
is one of the leading counties of East Ten
nessee, Most of its best farming lands are |
owned by men of intelligence and capital
The Clinch and Holston rivers pass
through portions of it, and along those
streams are some of the finest river bottom |
lands in the State.
About the only objection we found to
urge against the county is, that as rule !
the best lands are in large farms. The OBJ
lection is good as against many other coun-
ties 1t is, as we have repeatedly urged,
an objection good of most every section
of the South. We know several prominent
citizens of the county who own two and
three Idrqe farms. They rent them out
and do not even closely supervise the rem
ters This policy is ruinous to the own
ers and ruinous to the country. We are,
however, glad to see an anxiety on the
part of these large landholders to sell.
They want TO dispose of their farms to good
immigrants aud we think there are but few
counties that offer better inducements in
this respect to farmers from the North.
We believe land could be bought at reason
able prices and on reasonable terms. The
land thus offered is las we said before, of the
best quality. eH -.r '..T t.-.
A SPECIMEN FARM.
OF this class of land we might mention
one farm that came underou observation,
that could be bought by two or three north
ern farmers jointly on good terms. The
farm contains about six hundred and fifty
acres The HolstOn river divides it, so that
on one side of the stream is nice little
farm Of two hundred and thirty-Iive acres
while on the other side is an extra fine
body of land of four hundred acres. OF
this latter, there are seventy acres of first
class river bottom, equal to the best farnl-
ing land of any section. AS part of this
latter tract are two pieces of timber land,
about forty acres in each piece. The tim
Der is of the first quality, embracing beech,
oak and walnut. The balance of the tract
is good upland. The improvements are of
the best and most convenient kind, a val
liable ferry belongs to the farm and water
power of great value. About three North
ern families on this farm would
make it profitable and very rapidly en-
nance its value. 1t has been cultivated by
one of the best farmers of the county and
the land, fences and buildings are in fine
condition. We could place parties desiring
further information in communication
with the owner who desires to sell for rea-
sons that will appear satisfactory to pur-
this farm that could be bought and if a
small colony yof:neighbors and friends want
ed a thousand or two acres we think they
might be suited in that neighborhood.
The land lies within four miles of Rogers
VILE and the railroad and little colony
would fnd the location pleasant and
profitable one. Experience has satisfied
all the Northern farmers in East Tenn.
with whom we have ever talked that farm
ing in this section is more profitable than
in the North. In the particular neigh
borhood above referred to, and in fact, in
all of Hawkins, the grasses do very well
We saw hundreds of acres Of excellent
pasture land. This pasture is good as late
as November and December. 1t is not un.
usual to see stock getting pasturage late in
the winter The springs are early so that
there are but a few weeks when it is nee
essary to stable horses or cattle. This il
of course a great saving to farmers, anG
makes their winter work light and health
full as compared with the labOrs of the
same season in the North. 1t is marve
to us that Northern farmers will not com
prehend these advantages and ac
upon them. Why man SHOULD
shut himself and stock up four and five
moths of the year, and half freeze to deatl
during most of that time even in well bull
houses, while he could find as good farms
in genial climate, where his labors
would be more profitable and his life more
endurable we can not say. We know the
North offers advantages over the South il
some respects. Better schools, more con-
Venient churches and more congenial so
cial life, among old neighbors and rela
tives, but all these latter advantages are
sure to come with immigrants in the
South. On all these subjects ou
people are now wide awake and W.
believe and trust the years are few
when such disadvantages can be nameC
against US. Hawkins county has advan
tages on these points over some others tina
would be apparent to emigrants on n frs
visit
HAWKINS COUNTY STOCK.
The farmers of the county about which
we write have for years shown more en-
terprse in the way of improving thei
stock than almost any other county il
East Tennessee, Prominent among thOs,
improving the breed of cattle is n. 7