USA > Tennessee > Williamson County > History of Tennessee, from the earliest time to the present; together with an historical and a biographical sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford and Marshall counties, besides a valuable fund of notes, reminiscences, observations, etc., etc. Vol. 1 > Part 27
USA > Tennessee > Maury County > History of Tennessee, from the earliest time to the present; together with an historical and a biographical sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford and Marshall counties, besides a valuable fund of notes, reminiscences, observations, etc., etc. Vol. 1 > Part 27
USA > Tennessee > Rutherford County > History of Tennessee, from the earliest time to the present; together with an historical and a biographical sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford and Marshall counties, besides a valuable fund of notes, reminiscences, observations, etc., etc. Vol. 1 > Part 27
USA > Tennessee > Wilson County > History of Tennessee, from the earliest time to the present; together with an historical and a biographical sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford and Marshall counties, besides a valuable fund of notes, reminiscences, observations, etc., etc. Vol. 1 > Part 27
USA > Tennessee > Bedford County > History of Tennessee, from the earliest time to the present; together with an historical and a biographical sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford and Marshall counties, besides a valuable fund of notes, reminiscences, observations, etc., etc. Vol. 1 > Part 27
USA > Tennessee > Marshall County > History of Tennessee, from the earliest time to the present; together with an historical and a biographical sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford and Marshall counties, besides a valuable fund of notes, reminiscences, observations, etc., etc. Vol. 1 > Part 27
USA > Tennessee > History of Tennessee from the earliest time to the present , together with an historical and a biographical sketch of from twenty-five to thirty counties of east Tennessee, besides a valuable fund of notes, original observations, reminiscences, etc., etc. V. 1 > Part 27
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
ance, as also upon the sand-stone soils of the Cumberland Table-land. Upon the richer valley and bottom lands fifty bushels per acre are not an extraordinary yield, and seventy-five have been made. Greene, Hawkins, Knox, Sullivan, Roane, Washington and Blount Counties in East Ten- nessee; Davidson, Wilson, Montgomery and Sumner in the middle divis- ion, and Obion, Dyer and Gibson in West Tennessee furnish the best soils for oats.
While the number of acres devoted to barley in the State does not exceed 5,000, it is yet one of the most profitable crops grown by the farmer. The average yield per acre is about eighteen bushels. About one-third of all that is grown in the State is raised in Davidson County. It flourishes well in the high valleys and coves in Johnson and Carter Counties, and would grow well in all the rich valley lands of East Ten- nessee. The black lands of the central basin yield very large crops, twenty-five to thirty-five bushels being quite common.
Rye is not considered a productive crop in Tennessee. Farmers rarely sow it, except for winter or early spring grazing, a use to which it is admirably adapted. It is used also to some extent as a fertilizer, and as it grows with vigor where corn, oats and wheat fail, it supplies a great want upon the thin and worked soils. The amount of land in the State devoted to rye is about 25,000 acres, which gives a yield of about 220,000 bushels, or about nine bushels per acre. This yield is doubtless largely diminished in consequence of the excessive grazing to which it is subjected. The largest rye-growing counties are Marshall, Lincoln, Rutherford, Bedford and Davidson in Middle Tennessee, and Johnson and Carter in East Tennessee. West Tennessee raises but little rye, yet its soil and climate would insure an abundant yield.
Only a small amount of buckwheat is grown by the farmers of Ten- nessee. About 60,000 bushels is the average crop of the State, grown principally in Johnson, Carter, Washington and Perry Counties. It is not a remunerative crop, yielding only about seven bushels per acre.
From the early settlement to the present time, sweet potatoes have formed one of the leading articles of food. They grow well in all thoroughly drained soils of the State, and where the land is friable and moderately fertile. Bottom lands are not usually the best for the growth of this vegetable; the tendency of such places is to produce an enormous growth of vines at the expense of the tubers; nor does cold, clayey land suit them. The flavor is greatly improved in a soil with a small admix- ture of sand or fine gravel. When grown upon very rich land they are apt to be sappy and insipid. The annual yield is about 1,200.000 bushels, or 100 bushels per acre. The counties raising the greatest
236
HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
quantities are Shelby, Obion and Gibson in West Tennessee; Davidson, Wilson and Montgomery in the Middle Division; and Knox, Bradley and Anderson in East Tennessee.
Irish potatoes are not grown in sufficient quantities in the State to supply the home demand, although when planted upon suitable soils and well worked, the yield is prolific. Upon land moderately fresh and well fertilized, the yield can be brought up to 400 bushels per acre. Yet the statistics of this crop shows an average yield of only seventy-seven bushels, and the entire production 1,122,000 bushels. This vegetable grows well in every division of the State, and especially is it brought to perfection in the more elevated portions. Even the Cumberland Table- land, though yielding sparsely of the leading crops, produces the Irish potato in profusion.
Of the "money crops," perhaps the most important is tobacco. In the production of this plant Tennessee stands third among the States, Kentucky being first and Virginia second. The average yield per acre is between 700 and 800 pounds, although as much as 1,200 and even as high as 1,800 can be grown on the best soils in favorable seasons. Grown in some of the soils of Kentucky and Tennessee, it acquires a peculiar richness. Tough, thick, gummy and leathery in its character, it has the capacity of absorbing water, which makes it peculiarly adapted to the manufacture of strips for the English market; the tobacco known as the " Clarksville tobacco," and which grows on the rich red soils of Stewart. Montgomery, Robertson, Cheatham and Dickson Counties, is capable of absorbing 33 per cent of its weight in water. It is prepared for the English market by pulling out the main stem and packing it in hogs- heads as dry as possible. These "strips " are watered after reaching the English market, and inasmuch as the duty on tobacco is about 72 cents per pound, every pound of water absorbed by the strips is 72 cents in the pocket of the importer, and he is thus enabled to sell per pound at the same price at which he buys and still make a handsome profit. It is this peculiar property that gives the Clarksville tobacco such a high rank among the English dealers. The upper parts of Sumner, Trousdale and Smith, all of Macon, Clay and Jackson, and parts of Overton, Putnam, Wilson and DeKalb, raise a kind of tobacco not well suited for the manufacturer. It is large, leafy, coarser than the Clarks- ville tobacco, and is deficient in the active principle. It is principally consumed in the French and Spanish markets, a small quantity going to Italy and Germany. Obion, Dyer, Henry, Weakley and Benton Counties raise a very fine manufacturing leaf. It is, indeed, the finest article for that purpose grown west of the Alleghany Mountains. It is rich, silky,
237
HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
mild, of a light color, and some of it rivalling the brilliant colors of the fading hickory leaf. It is especially valued for bright and mottled wrappers. All of this tobacco is consumed in the United States, none being exported on account of its high price and scarcity. This tobacco is not well adapted for stemming purposes, and even if it were, the price is too high to make its use in this manner profitable. Coffee, Warren, Moore, Lewis, Lawrence, Wayne, Hickman, Humphreys and Dickson, raise small quantities of light, mild tobacco. Nearly every county in East Tennessee grows enough for home consumption, and but little more. The quality of tobacco differs widely from that grown in the other divis- ions of the State. It is smaller and lighter, and not so rich in nicotine. The stronger tobaccos of Middle and West Tennessee contain as high as six per cent of that alkaloid, while that grown in East Tennessee does not contain above three per cent. It, however, is preferred by many on this account, being milder, pleasanter and more agreeable.
The history of tobacco cultivation in Tennessee dates back to its ear- liest settlement. The pioneers who settled in the fertile valleys of the Watauga, Nollichucky, and Holston Rivers, raised tobacco for their own consumption; and those who planted colonies on the Cumberland during the last two decades of the eighteenth century brought seed from North Carolina and Virginia, and began its culture. Although grown for many years in a small way, it was not until about 1810 that tobacco began to form one of the great staples of the State. By 1820 7,000 hogsheads were annually sent in flat-boats to New Orleans and exchanged for coffee, sugar, salt and other commodities. The extinguishment of Indian titles in West Tennessee, in 181S, added immensely to the available area for cultivation. Prices were generally low, but the cost of production was scarcely appreciable. It is estimated that during the decade from 1820 to 1830, the actual cost of growing tobacco did not exceed $1 per 100 pounds. From 1830 to 1840 the culture was widely extended. In the latter year Henry County, in West Tennessee, heads the list, reporting a yield of 9,479,065 pounds, over 1,000,000 pounds more than any county at the present time produces. Smith County came next, with 3,017,012 pounds; Sumner, 2,615,000; Montgomery, 2,549,984; Wilson, 2,313,000; Robertson, 1,168,833; Williamson, 1,126,982; Rutherford, 1,084.000; and Stewart, Jackson and Davidson, 993,495, 859,336, and 334,394 pounds, respectively. The entire yield for the State in that year was 29 .- 550,442 pounds, nearly 200,000 pounds more than was reported in the census of 1880. The prices which prevailed in 1837 were very low, and many planters shipping to New Orleans were brought into debt for freight and charges. During the next two years the prices increased, and from 4 to
15
238
HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
10 cents per pound was frequently paid. In 1839 the prices were higher than for several succeeding years. From 1841 to 1846 the prices ranged from 2 to S cents, but in the latter year, on account of the Mexican war, the price fell to from 1 to 3 cents. In 1850 fair prices again prevailed. About 1834 dealers began to put up factories in Clarksville, and to pur- chase leaf tobacco. Several establishments for making "strips " sprang up shortly thereafter, and in 1840 the number of stemmeries had consid- erably increased. This gave renewed animation to the industry, millions of pounds of tobacco being annually bought in Clarksville, and prepared for the English trade.
The first effort to establish a market for the sale of tobacco in Clarks- ville was made in 1842, but it was difficult to persuade such planters as. still adhered to the practice of pressing the tobacco and shipping it to. New Orleans, to consent to sell in Clarksville. It was not until Febru- ary, 1845, that warehouses for the inspection and sale of tobacco in casks. were erected, and for the year ending September 1, 1845, 900 hogsheads were reported sold. Three or four warehouses were opened in 1846, and since that time they have been increased both in size and number. With the exception of Louisville, Clarksville opened the first inspection ware- house in the West.
Nashville also was a point where some business was done in tobacco- as early as 1835. In 1840 the receipts amounted to 4,000 hogsheads, and for the next ten years remained stationary, varying from 4,000 to 5,000 hogsheads annually. About 1850 two tobacco stemmeries were put up, which prepared from 125 to 150 hogsheads of strips; considerable leaf tobacco was also shipped to the New Orleans market. From 1850 to 1860 the trade increased somewhat, reaching from 7,000 to 8,000 hogs- heads, the weight of the hogshead being increased about twenty per cent. During the war the tobacco trade in Nashville was suspended, and did not greatly revive until 1872. Paris, Henry County, is also a tobacco market of some importance. In 1SSO it contained six factories, only three of which were in operation. These factories during that year put up about 208,000 pounds.
In Clarksville, while the amount of sales varies somewhat with the success or partial failure of each crop, there is always a considerable amount sold loose to the factories for the manufacture of strips. In 1879 the number of hogsheads of strips was less than for many years. In that year five factories in operation reported an aggregate production of 544 hogsheads or 680,000 pounds of strips, although the usual amount ranges from 800 to 2,000 hogsheads. Springfield, in Robertson County, does a considerable business in stemming, and also in the manufacture of
239
HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
plug tobaccos. Nearly every town in the tobacco-growing region, espe- cially if it be on the railroad, contains one or more dealers who buy leaf tobacco, put it into hogsheads, and ship it to Clarksville, Nashville or Louisville.
Cotton is another of the great staple products of Tennessee. Its cult- ivation, however, is mainly restricted to a comparatively small area, eighty-four per cent of the entire amount being produced in West Ten- nessee, and only one per cent of it in that portion of the State east of the Central Basin. In 1879 the county in the State having the highest total production was Shelby, with 46,388 bales. The county having the highest average production per acre was Lake, with 1,059 pounds of seed cotton. These counties of West Tennessee produce the best cotton grown in the State, and the farmers give to this staple almost their entire atten- tion. The uplands yield a very desirable article much sought after by the spinners of New England and Great Britain on account of its clean- ness. At the London exposition in 1851, the cotton raised by Col. John Pope, of Shelby County, received the medal as the best cotton known to the world. Lincoln, Rutherford, Giles, Williamson and Maury are the principal cotton-growing counties of Middle Tennessee, although it is produced to some extent in the whole of the Central Basin. The five counties mentioned in 1879 produced over 43,000 bales.
The following are the counties of Tennessee producing the greatest quantity of this staple, together with the number of bales and the average yield per acre for 1879 the weight of the bales averaging about 475 pounds:
Production in bales.
Average bales per acre.
Shelby
.46,388
.50
Fayette.
.39,221
.43
Tipton.
.21,415
.56
Haywood
.23,092
.46
Gibson
19,372
.52
Madison
19,257
.42
Hardeman.
.18,937
.42
13,250
.50
Lauderdale Giles
.13,802
.44
Rutherford
.12,414
.38
Carroll
11,505
.43
Henderson.
9,469
.42
McNairy
9,419
.41
Crockett.
9,320
.52
Maury
8,912
.41
Dyer
8,564
.59
Weakley
5,576
.49
Henry
5,516
.42
Hardin
5,345
.42
Williamson
4,538
.38
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
Obion
4,225
.58
Lincoln
3,486
.39
Lake
2,412
.74
Decatur
2,169
.39
Benton
1,801
.37
Marshall.
1,721
.37
Davidson
1,333
.41
Hickman
1,302
.42
Wilson
1,272
.40
Wayne
1,207
.37
The remaining counties each produced less than 1,000 bales. Al- though the average yield per acre is one-half greater than that of Ala- bama, and equal even to that of Mississippi, it could be greatly increased with proper management. The estimated cost of production per acre, as furnished by eleven cotton growers in as many different counties, varies from $4.05 to $16.90 with an average of $11.43. This cost can be ma- terially reduced by cultivating less land and cultivating it better, employ- ing less labor and thus increasing its efficiency, restoring the exhausted elements to the soil and thus keeping up its fertility, and by producing home supplies.
It is probable that the cultivation of cotton for home consumption was begun with the first settlement of the State, but the amount raised must have been quite small. The first cotton grown west of the moun- tains by American settlers was planted by Col. John Donelson in 1780, on the east side of Stone's River, opposite Clover Bottom. . Before the close of the Indian war fields of half an acre or an acre of cotton were to. be seen at most of the "improvements" or settlements. The entire care of this crop at that time, from the planting of the seed to the slow and laborious process of seeding the cotton, devolved upon the women and children of the household.
The invention of the gin by Whitney, in 1793, added impetus to the culture of cotton, although it was not until some time after that the machines came into general use. On October 22, 1803, the General Assem- bly of Tennessee passed an act, of which the following is the preamble:
WHEREAS, It is proposed by Russell Goodrich, the agent of Elijah Whitney, the in- ventor and patentee of a machine for the cleaning of cotton from the seeds, commonly called the saw-gin, and Phineas Miller, the assignee of one moiety of the patent right to said machine, to sell to the State of Tennessee, the sole and exclusive right of making, using and vending the said machine within the limits of this State, and
WHEREAS the culture of cotton is increasing in this State, and, from the invention and use of said machine, likely to become a valuable staple article of exportation, it is expedient that the State of Tennessee do purchase from the said Miller and Whitney their patent right to the making, using and vending of the said new invention on the terms and conditions hereinafter mentioned, that is to say, that there shall be levied and collected by the State of Tennessee on each and every said gin which shall be used in the State from the passing of this act, thirty-seven and one-half cents upon each and every
241
HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
saw or circular row of teeth, which shall be used in said gins in each and every year, for the term of four years, which tax, when collected, is to be paid to the said Miller and Whitney or their order, first deducting the sheriff's usual commission of six per cent for collecting from year to year for the term aforesaid. The first payment to be made on the first day of November, 1804, and the last payment on the first day of November, 1807.
The total amount paid by the State for the use of the gin in the counties of Middle Tennessee, or Mero District, was $4,517.49, after deducting the sheriff's commission of $288.35. Gins were used in ten counties as follows: Davidson, twenty-four; Sumner, nine; Williamson, six; Montgomery, five; Robertson, five; Smith, five; Stewart, one; Dickson, one; Wilson, four, and Rutherford, four. The following statis- tics show the rapid increase in the production of cotton in Tennessee from the beginning of the century: The crop for the year 1801 was estimated at 1,000,000 pounds, and for 1811, at 3,000,000 pounds. Ten years later it had increased 20,000.000 pounds; in 1828, to 45,000,000 pounds, and in 1833, to 50,000,000 pounds. These amounts were only estimated how- ever, and for the last two or three periods, were undoubtedly placed too high, as the census of 1840 reports the crop for the previous year at 27,- 701,277 pounds. The crop for the next four decennial years was as follows: 1849, 194,532 bales; 1859, 296,464 bales; 1869, 181,842 bales, and for 1879, 330,621 bales.
The great peanut growing region of the State embraces the counties of Perry, Hickman and Humphreys, and portions of Dickson and Lewis. The cultivation of this crop was introduced into this section by Jesse George, of Hickman County. The seeds came from North Carolina, - and were given to him by some relatives, who were passing through the county on their way West. These he planted, and finding the county so well adapted to their growth he ventured to raise peanuts for market. Obtaining a good price for these he was stimulated to a larger planting. His neighbors caught the infection and Humphreys soon became famous for the richness and superiority of its peanuts. The entire production of this crop in the region mentioned above reached, in the year 1872, 680,000 bushels; of these Hickman raised 200,000; Humphreys, 250,000; Perry, 200,000, and Dickson, 30,000. The excessive production of that year reduced the price so low that the crop in 1873 was diminished to 110,000 bushels. The prices paid the Nashville and Cincinnati markets vary from 60 cents to $2.25 per bushel, according to production and demand. The average yield is about forty bushels per acre. The best soils for peanuts are those which are well drained, and have a large quan- tity of intermingling gravel.
One of the most important crops of Tennessee, and one to which it is peculiarly adapted, is that of hay. Although its production is small in
.
242
HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
comparison with its value to the farmer, it has steadily increased for the past fifty years, as is evidenced by the following figures taken from the census reports: In 1839 there were produced 31,233 tons; in 1S49, 74,- 091 tons; in 1859, 143,499 tons; in 1869, 116,582 tons, and in 1879, 186,69S tons. The average yield per acre is not far from one and one-fourth tons. No State is more abundantly supplied with water-courses, and the hay crop of Tennessee might be made to rival that of any other State in the Union. But the hay growing regions are not confined to the low land bordering the streams; on the northern slopes of the ridges of East Ten- nessee and on the rolling lands of the Central Basin, timothy grows with a surprising luxuriance, and upon the flat lands of the Highland River and in the sandy lands of West Tennessee, herd grass finds a fitting soil and grows to a height almost incredible. Knox, Greene, Sullivan, Wash- ington and Davidson are among the best hay growing counties in the State, Greene ranking first and Davidson second. While the average yield of hay for the State is small, instances are given where meadows favorably located have yielded. for a period of ten years in succession, from two to three tons per acre. Of the many varieties of grasses there is scarcely one but that in some portion of the State can be grown with profit. Timothy is the best grass for hay making, and it improves all pastures when it is mixed with other grasses. It does best in limestone land, in which the crop often amounts to two tons of hay per acre, which rarely sells for less than $20 per ton.
Blue-grass is a perennial, and is essentially a pasture grass. It grows but on limestone lands, and to it Kentucky and several other States owe a large portion of their wealth. Much of the lands of East- ern and Middle Tennessee produce as fine blue-grass as can be grown anywhere, and it will ultimately cover all the limestone hills of the State. Several of the counties of West Tennessee will also produce good blue-grass. Indeed but little land exists in the State which, under proper management, will not grow this grass profitably, and there is no reason why Tennessee should not rival Kentucky in its production.
Herd's-grass, or red top, is a hardy perennial, and is devoted to both pasture and meadow. For making meadow in swampy land it is regarded as superior to any other grass. It produces a deep, tough sod of roots that make a firm surface, even in muddy places, and yields a ton and a half of hay of good quality per acre. In well drained upland it yields fair crops of hay, but is not equal to clover and timothy. This grass finds a most congenial soil throughout West Tennessee, in many places attaining the height of five feet. It is probably better adapted to all the soils of the State than any other grass. It flourishes upon the slopes
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243
HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
and in the valleys of East Tennessee, and yields abundantly upon the sandstone soils of the Cumberland Table-land, as well as on the rolling surface of the Highland River. In the Central Basin, too, it is second only to red clover and timothy as a meadow grass.
Orchard-grass, also a perennial, makes hay and pasture of the best quality. It grows best on limestone lands, but makes good meadows on any rich soil. It is difficult, however, to get this grass well sodded and to keep it in full possession of the ground. Some of the good points of this grass are its adaptability to every variety of soil, its rapid growth, its ability to resist drought and its power to grow in the shade.
Red clover is the most valuable of all the grasses. It not only makes excellent hay and pasturage, but is, also, the great fertilizer of land. It grows best on rich limestone lands, but may be made to prosper on any land which is not extremely sandy. It finds a congenial soil in the clayey lands of the valleys of East Tennessee, on the red soils of the Highland Rim and on the limestone loams of the Central Basin. Probably three- fourths of the land in the State will grow clover remuneratively.
Besides the common red clover several other species are grown with suc- cess, the two most important of which are alsike clover and crimson clover. The former is a perennial and is hardier than red clover, but its yield is less. The latter is an annual, and is chiefly valuable as a green food. Of the annual grasses cultivated in Tennessee the most important is millet, of which there are many varieties. The first millet cultivated in the State was of the kind commonly termed Tennessee Millet. In a few years the Hungarian grass became popular, and later the Missouri millet became the favorite. At the close of the war the German variety was introduced, and soon superseded all others. These grasses all grow best in limestone soils, but prosper on any soil that is rich enough, and there is probably more hay made from them in Tennessee than from any other kind of grass. There are many other valuable grasses which could be profitably grown in the State, but which have not been very generally introduced. Several wild or indigenous grasses grow spontaneously, one ·of which is the barren, or prairie grass. It covered all the prairie lands when the country was first settled by white people. It springs up about the 1st of April, grows to the height of two feet, and affords good pas- turage from April to the 1st of August, when it becomes hard and woody.so that stock refuse to eat it. Wherever the forest is not so dense as to exclude the light and heat of the sun, on the streams and table- lands of the Cumberland Mountains and on the sandy, flinty and siliceous "flat woods" of the whole State, this grass still holds possession, and is a blessing to the inhabitants of all lands which are deficient in lime.
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