Year: 1873

Covering an area of 800, ,S3S acres, as does
the county of Blount, with its many varie-
ties of lands and soil, it is difficult to give
a stranger just conception of the value of
our lands. Dividing them into three
classes, we have first river and creek bot
toms, which are worth from S25 to 500
per acre; but connected, as they usually
are, with the second class or upland, the
price would range from $40 to $40 per acre.
Or take the uplands to themselves, with
such improvements as we have in this
country, they would average say SIS per
acre--some lower, some higher.


The third class is styled the mountain
portion-suited for the herding of cattle,
sheep, &c.-is valued at from % cents to
s. per acre, its value being increased by
the evidence of minerals, or the amount of
that may be conveniently cultivated.
These mountains often form within them
selves coves or basins, vastly productive,
with soil constantly enriched from the
mountain drains.


The soil of our bottoms is of a black col
or, with n slight mixture of sand being
mainly deposited from overflow or left as
the water receded from the higher ground
to it's present bed, and is best adapted to
the growth of corn, yielding from thirty to
sixty bushels to the acre, from year to year
without intermssion.


The upland is mostly of dark red or
mulatto soil with clay bottom, yielding
froX six to thirty bushels of wheat per acre,
the average being perhaps not over twelve,
and of corn about twenty. This land
is also we'll adapted to the growth of oats,
clover, herd grass and timothy. Potatoes
and all the vegetables common to our
country does well in this soil. Clover is
regarded with us of much value as fer
tiliZer, as well as for hay and pasture.
These lands may be had in tracts to suit
purchasers. Though the river farms usu-
ally sell in body, including whatever of
upland may belong to them, and are most
ly in.tracts of from 800 to 500 acres. a per-
son coming from East, West or further
South might not find our lands so very
much cheaper in dollars, than they are
with them at their present homes, yet
Sye urge our advantages as being in all
things equal and in the matter of health
greatly superior to any of those sections:
Producing greater variety of crops than
either, and as against the East or West,
might have larger surplus to sell, since
we do not or need not feed our stock for so
~
n gentleman, long citizen of New York,
and of large experience in all that pertains
to farming, now a resident of our county
gives it as his opinion that cheese could be
manufactured and placed ready for market
at an expense of not over six cents per
pound. For person desirous of engaging
5n this branch of industry our lands offer
peculiar advantages. Tobaccois also being
grown with good degree of success,
enough at least to demonstrate that
our soil is we'll suited to its cul-
tivation. But the agriculture of
of our county is conducted as yet in to
strict conformity to and accordance with
the tradition of our fathers, the old meth
DDS are to much adhered to, our surplus
being devoted to the purchase of more land
rather than the improvement of what we
already had. But the strides of progress
ion we are now beginning to make, will
tell upon another generation clearing up
TO get more of the virgin soil is no longer
the rule. Parties are now willing the large
tracts shall be divided, and many are free
10 admit that they would be better off with
less land, and labor saving machines are
taking the place of the slave and hireling.
But ours is not wholly an agricultural
country. AS stated in the former article
we have iron ore rich and easy of access.
We have water power for the placing of
any kind of machinery. We have vari-
ety of timber, only needing the hands of
the skilled mechanic to make very
valuable Nor is ours an old country in
the sense that it is finished. 1t is not
great many years since the Indian trOd the
forest with none to dispute his right. His
removal to the distant West and the filling
up of the country upon his path has been
so rapid that we scarcely realize how much
of value came to our hands. In the begin
ming, walled in by natural barriers, and
hedged about with the eXclusiveness begat
by slavery, we are only just beginning to
be known as an agricultural, mineral and
manufacturing region.


The farmer may find with US INDUCE
ments not surpassed We want him, The
mechanic can find constant work. We
need his skill. The scholar will find a wide
field for his work as teacher and find
compensation for his services in the
blessing from our children's lips and q fair
consideration in money. The capitalist
will find good investment for cash upon
nndoubted security. All these classes we