The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1913-09-12
ALFALFA IN THE SOUTH.
Successful Methods of Franklin
County Growers Set Forth.

through ltS INDUSTRIAL Brancn, mas COM
piled and published valuable pamph-
let on alfalfa growing in the Middle
South. The booklet is written to apply
in particular to conditions in that sec
ton of the South traversed by the lines
Of that company, and the methods of
handling employed by the most success
full Swiss and German growers Of the Bell
videre Community Of Franklin County,
Tenn, arecomprehensiyely set forth and
recommended to prospective growers.
Shortly after the close OF the late Civil
War a colony of Swiss and German
farmers emigrated from Western State
and purchased farms in the most de-
vastated and abandoned districts OF
Franklin County, most OF which had
actually grown over with brush and
sage grass. The prices paid for these
lands was were ridiculously low, rang
ing from $40 to $15 per acre. BY apply
ing the proverbial practical and intelli-
gent methods OF tilling the soil for
which those agricultural races are cele-
brated, the farms taken over by the Ger
man colonists were ultimately brought
TO reasonably profitable state Of culti-
vation. In 1901, or twelve years ago,
John Kaserman, the pioneer and leader
Of the colonists, conceived the opinion
that the red clay soils Of the Highland
Rim would produce alfalfa. His farm
Of several hundred acres was typically
representative Of those red lands, and
he successfully experimedted with ave
acres. That experiment was probably
the introduction OF alfalfa growing in
Tennessee and that section Of the South
traversed by the Nashville, Chattanooga
& St. Louis Railway.
Three years later, John Hurt, another
German settler in the Belvidere section
Of Franklin County, sowed % acres and
harvested large yield. Since that time
alfalfa acreage in that and adjacent CONF
munities has been steadily increasing
on the farms OF both the foreign ele-
ment and on those of the native oper-
ators as we'll The alfalfa crop is now
regarded in franklin County as the sur
est and most profitable crop grown when
properly handled, the average yield be-
ing over four tons per acre, and the pro-
ducers realizing from $18 to $25 per ton.
1t is confidently believed and so stated
by successful growers of alfalfa in those
communities that the first crop will pay
for the land upon which it is grown, in
cluding the cost OF producing it, and
figures are not wanting to prove the
The soils upon which alfalfa is be-
ing SO successfully grown in Franklin
County are typical OF the soils Of that
zone of red clay lands extending along
the outer margin Of the Middle Tennes-
see Basin Rim, and traversed throughout
its entire length by the lines Of the
Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis
Railway, from the Tennessee River to
and beyond Sparta, Tenn, and crossed
BY its main line in the vicinity Of Cowan
and Decherd, in the latter State. The
red clay zone continues in less pro-
bounced type entirely across the Central
Basin. and is crossed again by the Nash
yiIle, Chattanooga & st. Louis Railway
n Dickson and Humphreys counties
lbout fifty miles west Of Nashville.
That zone OF red lands extending from
he river in Alabama to Sparta Tenn, /,
contains approximately | 900, 900 acres,
learly every acre Of which is Of such
nature as will admit OF very high state
Il cultivation. In some Of the farming !
embraced by it, notably ,
he Belvidere German community of
County, Tenn, these lands
AVE been developed to high degree {
fHiertility, which emphasizes without
question the almost unbounded posi-
iIities or that area The major por- I
ion Of the farming lands of that zone,
owever, have been for years subjected Z
0 the abuse incident upon one crop /
lrning and careless and af.ss.ses epl- 81
ivation, and their owner re now con- .
ronted with the necessY Of turning
hem to better accounts. Nevertheless, h
Ituated as ills, ut an altitude approxi- j
rating thousand feet, making pos il
Bile It's air and water free from con- a
mination, gently rolling lands, easily o
ls;essible to markets, Immediately adj I
~ Il I to and extending ia both difec- i
sena.a principal railway thor !
to take the api,a.. NorthWest aud 4
low thu president How Il. me Wcss
] to this prune statesman expect patrio