two pounds six ounces. This was at the rate of thirteen tons, eighteen hundred and thirty pounds, per acre of green grass; when thoroughly dried and heated, five tons and three quarters nearly.

Though best adapted for irrigated lands, this grass is said to withstand severe droughts better than any of our valuable grasses. Mr. Gould, in speaking of it, says he saw it growing upon the farm of Lewis G. Morris, of New York, and though the year was characterized by a very severe drought, and all the neighboring meadows and pastures were brown and sear, yet this field of Italian Rye Grass was green and beautiful, presenting a lovely picture to the eye, a perfect oasis amid the parched grass lands by which it was surrounded. Mr. Morris says that when fed to his cattle they gave an eager preference to it over any of the grasses on his farm.

Mr. Gould thinks the valuable qualities of this grass may be summed up as follows:

Its habit of coming early to maturity.

Its rapid reproduction after cutting.

Its wonderful adaptation to all domestic animals, which is shown by the extreme partiality they manifest for it, either alone or when mixed with other grasses; whether when used as green food for soiling, as hay, or as pasturage, in which latter state its stems are never allowed to ripen and wither like other grasses.

Its beneficial influence on the dairy, not only augmenting the flow of milk, but improving the flavor of the cheese and butter.

Its uncommon hardiness and capacity to withstand the vicissitudes of both wetness and dryness.

The only drawback to it, is the fact that it is not perennial; but it is said that if fresh seeds are scattered over the meadow every second year, and the ground scarified with a harrow, and then rolled, there will be a succession of crops.

In an economical point of view, there is no crop of greater interest to the farmer than that of grass. The annual value of the grass crop in the United States has been estimated to be equal to $500,000,000.

Should the farmers double the area of their meadows and pasture lands, or, what would be still better, "make two blades of grass grow where only one grew before," the entire national debt could be paid

off in four years with the surplus, besides the indirect advantage of having the soils greatly augmented in fertility.

In no state is there such a great disparity between the natural capacity of the soils for the growing of hay, and the actual production, as in the State of Tennessee. The large amount of meadow lands to be found in every portion of the State, amounting in the aggregate to at least 1,500 square miles, should insure a yield of hay equal to that of New York; yet we find by comparison that the latter state in 1869 raised 5,614,205 tons of hay, and Tennessee 116,582 tons, or about one-fiftieth as much; and this, too, when ready markets and high prices have been the constant rule for this product in Tennessee.

As it is, it may well be doubted whether any other product of our soils pays such a large per centage as our grasses. It is impossible to make an estimate of their true value. One method, however, may be adopted. We may suppose that all these grasses were at once removed from our State, so that the citizens would be compelled to do without them. What would be the consequence? A little reflection will satisfy any one that the privation would be fatal to our prosperity. The whole population would be reduced to abject poverty before they could provide substitutes for them. The more one thinks about the privation, the greater it appears to be. On the other hand, the greater the damage that would result from a deprivation of all our grasses, the greater must we regard the value of their general culture. And the human mind can approach no nearer to the true value of our grasses, than it could to the amount of damage that would result from a deprivation of them all. Without the grasses, Tennessee could hardly support half a million of citizens. But the general culture of all our grasses will support five millions of citizens bountifully. Without these grasses, all the fertilizers, all composts, and all barn-yard manures would not prevent our soil from wearing out and becoming barren. But with them, we may enrich all our lands, and make most of them highly productive.

It is due to the memory of the late Dr. F: H. Gordon, to say that a portion of this chapter was furnished by him, just before his death, to the Bureau of Agriculture. Of all subjects connected with our agricultural interests, that of grass engaged his attention the most. It was his fixed opinion that the increased culture of grass meant increase in wealth, in intelligence, in refinement, and in population.

CHAPTER IX.

LIVE STOCK.

Tennessee, taking the ninth rank in the sisterhood of states in the number of her population, aggregating 1,258,520, according to the last census, takes also the ninth position in point of the value of her live stock, aggregating in value $55,084,075. With only 6,843,278 acres improved land, there is about one-fourth of the area of the entire State, making about five acres to each inhabitant, actually available and employed. According to the latest and most reliable data, there are for each one hundred acres so employed, only 3.6 horses, 3.5 milch cows and 5.8 all other cattle, 12 sheep, and 26 swine. Considering the vast area unemployed and unreclaimed, embracing as it does much of the best lands of the State for the production of the cereals and cultivated grasses, together with our climate and admirably watered valleys, so well adapted to stock-growing, that notwithstanding the aggregate value of our live stock making a large item in the wealth of our State, the percentage appears very low when compared with the real capacity of our territory for the development of this great interest. Even under the unadvanced system of agriculture, Tennessee takes the seventh rank in the average production of Indian corn and wheat, and the fifth in that of grasses, demonstrating our great capacity to make meat for the markets of the world. We think it must appear to the most casual observer, upon a review of such facts, that a proper development of our live stock interest, especially if aided by the fostering hand of our law-makers, will do more to furnish a market for our farm products, and reclaim our worn out lands, bringing into subjection our wild territories, and thus beautifying and enriching our State, than other branch of agriculture pursued by the husbandmen of Ten

any

nessee.

Possessing such great natural advantages in climate and soil, also being one of the best watered among the states, and occupying a central position, our State is already attracting great attention among those devoted to the breeding interests, and must soon become one of the great central depots from which stock for the improvement of their respective varieties will be exported to all parts of our continent.

HORSES.

With 118,141 farms in Tennessee, and that, too, with an increase of thirty per cent. in the last ten years, there is at the present time only one horse to about every five inhabitants, aggregating 273,200, whereas in the most prosperous agricultural states, the proportion is as about one horse to every three persons. The quality of the horses of our State, however, is of a much higher standard than is to be found in most states in the Union. This fact is doubtless due to two causes. First and chiefly to the fact, that for the past three-quarters of a century this branch of stock husbandry has received the attention of many of the most enlightened minds of our State, whose time, means, and zeal have been devoted to the production of the highest type of the equine race.

This becomes at once apparent from the fact that no less than thirtyfive imported stallions, many very expensive ones, were either imported and owned in Tennessee, or their services employed for the benefit of their species, as follows: Crawler, Sourcrout, Citizen, Rodney, Eagle, Dragon, Royalist, Boaster, Bagdad, Bluster, Leviathan, Philip, Margrave, Luzborough, Autocrat, Mordecai, Shamrock, Skylark,St. Giles, Fop, Lapdog, Merman, Rowton, Priam, Belshazzar, Ambassador, Ainderly, Teneriffe, Sovereign, Emu, Glencoe, Scythian, Sacklowie, and Glengary. Add to this the great number of highly-bred, imported mares, such as Chance mare, Fortuna, Blacklock mare, Refugee, Kill Devil mare, Phantomia, Vaga, Venetia, Likeness, Black Bess, Florestine, Rebecca, Jenny Mills, Myrtle, Mango, Nanny Kilham, Sweetbriar, Colonel's Daughter, Stump's mare, Nun's Daughter, Equity, Vamp, Anna Maria, Tomboy mare, Primrose, Pledge, Panola, and the produce of the mares from the English stallions, commingling their blood with the numerous native stallions, rivalling in excellency and purity of breeding their imported cousins. As early as 1790, many good

horses were brought into Sullivan county, in East Tennessee. Col. John Scott, Col. William Blevins, the Messrs. Snapp, Tiptons, Greens, Rutledges, etc., seemed to have taken the lead in these early importations. Among the horses brought to that county about that time, we may mention Stately, Milton, Genus, Flag of Truce, Don Quixote, Peter Quicksilver, and Diomede, all of which left traces of their blood. Many of these horses were brought afterwards to Middle Tennessee, through the influence of General Jackson, who, first settling in East Tennessee, afterwards removed to Davidson county, and was one of the leaders of the turf.

Our earlier breeders certainly possessed the materials, when directed by skill, out of which they were able to fashion the grandest horses upon the continent. As evidence of this, Tennessee horses have been sought for by almost every state in the Union, for the improvement of the equine race, and have contributed very largely in founding and establishing the reputation of every state now boasting of possessing this most noble and most useful servant to mankind. Although a few central counties have in times past devoted the greatest amount of time and money to the breeding of horses in their highest type, such as Sumner, Davidson, Giles, Maury and others, at present there are many counties that vie with these in the number and value of their stock. As a matter of reference, taking 5,000 as a basis, the counties owning over this number are Wilson, Lincoln, Maury, Giles, Sumner, Rutherford, Davidson, Bedford, Williamson and Marshall; while many others are nearly equal in point of numbers to the above. In all of these counties more or less of good blood has been distributed from the older breeding counties, thus materially increasing the durability, and consequently the general utility, of the horse stock of the State. This fact became patent during the late war, especially. Tennessee, being a central field of hostilities between the contending armies, contributed probably to a larger extent than any other state in supplying the armies with useful cavalry horses, of such excellent quality as to render them distinguished among all the rough riders over bloody fields throughout both armies. Notwithstanding this great drain upon the horse stock, the State is fast recuperating in numbers, and the knowledge acquired from past experience induces our citizens to introduce none but the best, for the purposes for which they are bred, with which to improve our already valuable race of horses. Latterly, the enormous amount of capital represented in the roadster, has induced numbers of our best citizens and breeders to introduce representatives of