The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1877-04-26
TENNESSEE ARD ITS RESOUR-
CES.
Some Interesting Points in the Re
port of the Commissioner Of
Agriculture, Statistics
o0d Hiuac


Col Killebrew says, that he has ex-
amined critic lily the various deposits OF
iron, coal, coal, cooper. zinc, and
other minerals, upon which be has pre-
pared and published reports
Apart from these he has prepared
a treatise on tobacco and It's culture in
Tennessee, comprising 12O pages; also a
tabular statement of all the manufactur-
| ing and m ming interests of the State,
showing the amount of capital invested,
number of hands employed, wages paid,
and annual production; also an article on
sheep husban Try, and Tennessee az a
stpck-grOwing State, which will make
forty pages. The whole number Of pub
! licatiOas will aggregate about 600 pages
of printed matter. The pamphlet on to-
baeco culture was prepared in response
to a demand from the farmers living in
various parts of the State who wish to
engage in the cultivation of that staple.
Upon this subject the Commissioner has
this TO say:
"At present it is by far the most profit
able crop grown; and while we haV5 in
the State 10000 square miles well adap-
ted to it's growth, less than $4,000 acres
are so employed. In the eastern portion
of the State; and in many parts of Middle
aud Vest Tennessee, the agricultural
profits could be greatly enhanced by the
cultivation Of this staple. This pubiica-
ton was distributed in those parts of the
State beSt adapted to the culture of to-
bacco, and | am glad to be able to state
that a largely increased production will
result therefrcm. In Knox, Washing
ton and McMinn counties, in East Ten
nnssee; White, Warren, Coffee and Law
renee, in Middle Tennessee, and in the
southern tier of counties in West Ten
nessee, hearty effort will be made to
give the crop fair trial.
The great enl to which the CommIs-
Gioner seems to have labOred, was to iu-
duce capital to Eli our unOccupied fsIis
of industry. lie has believed, and still
believes, that our people need relief from
taXation-not that taxes are higher than
in other States, but because they are
harder to pay-the margin between the
necessary expenses of our people and
their income being smaller thaa it has
been for a quarter of a century. he
saws that this want of ability on the part
Of the peopl. does not arise from a scar
city Of agricultural products, but from
the want of home markets. He says
there is too great q proportion of our
people enga ged in agriculture compared
with the aggregate population of the
State.
lie SAYS further that if we do not so
adjust our State economy so as to give
profitable employment to our population,
it will seek new fields, leaving the State
poorer. The census Of 1870 shows The
alarming fact that All 900 born upon the
soil Of Tennessee have emigrGtei, and
ouly $4,000 have come il their place,
showing a clear loss Of $4,000.
The remedy to he applied for the re-
lief of the people Is the introduction Of
capital into these branches. the prOsecu-
tion Of which we have the greatest Hatu. /
raj facilities, but which are at present /
vaiueless. Increase the value Of tn :
taxable property and the same revenue /
may be derived from lowar tax This /
increase mgst come from abroad, but j. /,
will not come from abroad unless in !
ducements are oGered-jpst such indGce- /
rnents as a me reliant ofisrs his customers ]
should be given and no other.