Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-09-13
Commissioner KiIIebrew's August
Report.

Commissioner KfIIebreW's Angus
Report.
Col. Killebrew takes stock of Ten
nessee's resources and plainly make
out that the State is rich in every
thing that constitutes public wealth
except capital. This latter she ex
cludes by her own legislation, which
treats the capitalist as the universal
enemy of mankind. Col. KillebreW
himself, by inviting population and
capital into the State, seems to have
incurred the hostility of the ruling
powers, for they refused last session
of the Legislature to allow him his
necessary expenses for travelling
through the State. 1t takes high
intellect to build up a prosperous
community, but oh, what fools can
nullify the most abundant resources
for wealth by interposing their folly
in the form of legislation.
The following is portion of the
report, our space not permitting us
to publish the whole of it:
TOBACCO.
The uncertainty and contradictory
statements made in regard to the
growing crop have impelled me to
take more than ordinary pains to
collect information. / rode, or had
my agents to ride, over $50 miles
through the heart of the tobacco
growing region, and / have collected
statistics from more than 200 farm
ers as to the condition of the crop,
aside from my regular corresponds
ents, themselves large tobacco
growers. 1 have also received nu-
merouS letters from various planters
from all OF which have endeavored
to make a faithful and trustworthy
report.
The dry weather extending
through August until the 23d,
checked the growth of tobacco and
caused it to droop and sicken from
lack of moisture. On the 23d and
9th, general rains prevailed, and
though few low places were great
ly damaged by overfows, the bene-
fit to the crop was pronounced and
well marked. In a single week the
leaves expanded, and on good soils
OVerlapped in the rows. That
which was ripening rapidly took a
fresh growth, and the late crops
grew with great rapidity, and now
promise to make heavy, rich and
leafy tobacco.
Diligent inquiry revealed the fact
that in some localities the planters
were unfortunate in their plant
beds, and in such places the crop
was not planted until late in June. |
The succeeding drought almost de- |
vitalized such crops, and gave them |
such a check that all such planters
felt disposed to underestimate the |
growing crop. In other places,
however, plants were abundant,
and the bulk of the crop was set out |
in May. This class of planters
estimated the crop probably too
high. After a comparison Of al |
the reports, l am clearly of the |
opinion that 7-10 of an average crop
will be made in the ClarksVille dis
trict and in West Tennessee, both
taken together, while on the Upper
Cumberland less than half crop
will be gathered, probably not more
than one-third. Robertson county
reports very Indifferent crop, but
it is thought, making an average of
the reports which | have from that
county, that clio Of an average will
be made.
The contradictory reports from
make il difficult to
give proper estimate.
From forty-one farms visited north
of Red river, l gather the following
facts:
Planted in 1878, sol acres.
Planted in 1879, 784 acres.
OF the number of acres planted in
1879, 1877 acres are equal in quality
to that grown last year.
1t also appears that there are Y
acres, per cent. better than the
crop of 1878; 161 acres, 10 per cent.
better than the crop of 1878; "a acres,
20 per cent. better than the crop Of
1878; 27 acres, 80 per cent. better
than the crop of 1873, 40 acres, 40
per cent, better than the crop of
1878, making 374 acres of better
quality than the crops grown on the
same ldTInS Ill 1910,
The report also shows that there
were 142 acres 10 per cent. worse
than the crop of 1878; 10 acres, Is
per cent. worse than the crop of
1878; Is acres, 20 per cent. worse
than the crop of 1873; 25 acres, 25
per cent. worse than the crop of
1878; 90 acres, 80 per cent, worse
han the crop of 1885, acres, a3
per cent. worse than the crop of
1878, making 223 acres Of worse
quality than the tobacco grown on
5he same farms last year.
To summarize, we have out of 784
acres 1877 acres equal in quality to
he crop of last year; 374 acres, bet
,er from to 40 per cent, than the
,rop of 1873; 223 acres, worse from
10 to 80 per cent. than the crop of
1878.
Another report from fourteen
arms, in another part of the county,
shows 244 planted in 1879 as against
IS7 acres in 1878. OF the crop OF
1879 there are reported 122 acres of
quality fully as good as the crop of
1878; 40 acres 20 per cent. better
han the crop of 1873; 81 acres 25
per cent. better than the crop of
1878; 43 acres 60 per cent. better
han the crop of 1878; 122 acres from
20 to 60 per cent. better than the
crop of 1878.
Still another report from 70 farms,
IN a different locality, 834 acres in
1879 as against S06 in 1878. Ana
yzing this report l find 3 acres 5
per cent. worse than the crop of
1878; 80 acres 10 per cent. worse
than the crop of 1878 103 acres 20
per cent. worse than the crop of 1878;
acres % per cent, worse than the
crop of 1885, l8 acres 30 per cent.
worse than the crop of 1878; 43 acres
so per cent. worse than the crop of
1878; 262 out of the 834 acres worse
than the crop of last year from to
50 per cent. / find also 1873 acres
reported equal to the crop of 1873,
Still further find l55 acres per
cent. better than the crop of 1873;
1874 acres 10 per cent. better than
the crop of 1873; 81 acres, 20 per
cent. better than the crop Of 1878
81 acres % per cent. better than the
crop of 1878; 3 acres so per cent.
better than the crop of 1878; aggre-
eating 3S4 acres, from 3 to 80 per
cent. better than last year, or to
this report there are:
262 acres more, 188 acres equal, 384