Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1883-11-10
OREAMERIEs.
An Interesting Letter from Gen. Merry
to Commissioner McWhirter.
A Convention OfFarmers and Dairymen
Proposed at jackson.

vile World, from Gen. j. I. Merry,
general passenger agent for the Illinois
Central Railway, to Capt, McWhirter,
was received yesterday:
Capt A. j. McWhirter, Commissioner, etc
Dear Sir.-l am more than delighted
at the outlook for the Southern land
excursion No. 3" that leaves Sioux
City, Ia, on the 26th OF November
My morning mail brings letters from
Magnolia, ILL.,, informing me that
party of twelve will join the excursion
for Chattanooga; another party for
Sherwood, Tenn; another for jackson
and still another for Durant, Miss. One
gentleman who accompanied us on our
last excursion, and went from Martin
to Chattanooga, returns enthusiastic
over the outlook for business in that
new and enterprising city. am con-
fdent, my dear captain, that what
West Tennessee needs above anything
else at present is a few creameries, such
as Iowa boasts of to day. Not only for
the profit there is in the dairy products
under this system, but it will be a
wonderful stimulus toward the seeding
down Of those hundreds of thousands of
acres in West Tennessee that are to-day
an expense rather than a profit to
their owners. | remember we'll, and
it was only few years ago when
Northern Iowa by continuous seeding
to wheat nearly and in many instances
quite baukrupted the farmers OF this
section, and it was then that people be-
gan to look about them for some other
means and methods of farming. The
result was the introduction in Il verv
small and primitive way indeed of the
creamery system. Farms were seeded
down and in Two or three years we
find, instead of worn out farms, fine
fields of clover and timothy, mortgages
paid Oft; elegant houses and spacious
barns being erected, and to-day North
ern Iowa occupies no second place
among all the dairy sections of the
country. | apprehend what was true
of Iowa in reference to the continuous
and Improbable raising of wheat is
true to certain extent of Tennessee in
raising of cotton. Little attention has
been paid to grasses and the low prices
of your dairy products has not tended
to interest your farmers upon the sub
ject of dairying, but when they under.
stand they can get from rs cents to
$1.25 per hundred for milk, AMI that
at their very doors, they will not be
slow in looking up the grasses best
adapted to your soil. Seed down your
plantations, stock them with COWS, and
thus introduce a system of farming that
requires much less labor than the raising
of cotton and gives a much greater
profit. 1t is not strange that | am
favorable to the creamery and dairy
system. Manchester, the city in which
l have lived for twenty years, carried
off both prizes for creamery butter al
the Philadelphia centennial, and the
Aourishng and prosperous condition Of
the farmers in this section is the best
evidence of the practicability of this
system of farming, and now, sir, / want
grand farmers and dairymen's con-
vention to be called at Jackson, Tenn,
during the month of February next,
and should be pleased to bring with me
not only crowd of excursionists and
land seekers, but a number of our prac.
teal creamery men, who will give to
the convention thoughts that cannot
help but result in good to your great
State. | have written you this letter
upon this subject, that if, in your judg-
ment it is practical, you may begin to
agitate the question throughout the
State, and bring together such a crowd
of people at jackson as will assure the
success of such meeting.
Your energy and enterprise in bring
ing to the front your State commands
the admiration of the whole Northwest,
and l assure you my dear captain, you
will find us ready to cooperate with
you to the fullest extent. My regards
to Gov. Bate; and with the utmost
confidence in the bright near future of
Tennessee, | am Yours most respect.