First and Second Reports of the Bureau of Agriculture for the State of Tennessee. PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE BUREAU OF AGRICULTURE. - NASHVILLE, TENN.: TAVEL, EASTMAN & HOWELL, PRINTERS TO THE STATE. 1874. To the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, and to His Excellency, John C. Brown: Herewith are submitted the first and second reports of the Bureau of Agriculture. The publication of the first report was delayed because it was thought best by the Commissioners that a review of the whole resources of the State should, with the accompanying map, be included in one volume, and because Parts II., III. and IV., which constitute the first report, should be preceded by Part I., which is a general introduction to the whole State. It is believed that the report is original in its conception and character, and will serve, in a most effective way, to bring before the world the almost illimitable resources, yet undeveloped, of the great State of Tennessee. The plan of the work, together with the idea of introducing the agricultural and geological map, is the united conception of the Commissioners of the Bureau, and it gives me pleasure to bear testimony to the zeal, interest and good judgment displayed by them in all their meetings; but to J. B. Killebrew, the efficient Secretary, is eminently due the credit for his good judgment, correctness, zeal, enthusiasm and untiring energy, coupled with a remarkable versatility in the preparation of the matter of the report, and unremitting labor in getting it through the press. He has been a faithful and assiduous public agent, and has not only earned the salary given him, but has, in my opinion, merited the thanks of the people of the State for this work of such magnitude, requiring, as it did, so much and such constant and persistent labor, and one which will certainly add millions of property to our State. I regard the outlay of the funds for the collection and dissemination of facts pertaining to the resources of the State as the best possible method of increasing its wealth, reducing taxation, and affording general and early relief to the people. The enquiry for this Report from most of the Northern States and Territories, and many of the Southern States, as well as from Canada, England and Switzerland, is truly gratifying, and shows the general desire for information in respect to the resources of the State, and confirms me in the opinion I have entertained from the first, that the expense incident to the work will prove the best outlay the State has ever made. On account of the pressing demand for such information, and at the suggestion of Gov. Brown, the Commissioners, at their last meeting, instructed the Secretary to prepare and send out advance sheets of such chapters as iv would prove of general interest, and I am pleased to be able to state that these sheets were sought for eagerly, well received and copied by the leading papers of the North and of our State, and have already served to attract special attention to the State. With due respect to the wisdom of the last Legislature, I will add that the number of the Reports ordered will prove totally inadequate to the demand. In conclusion, permit me to call special attention to the accompanying Map, as one of the important features of the Report, and the meed of praise is due to Dr. Safford for his skill, care and good taste in its preparation. It is the most accurate map of the State ever published. As the financial agent of the Bureau under the law creating it, I respectfully request of the General Assembly that it will appoint a committee to examine and pass upon my accounts, which I insist on, as I think it a rule that should be adopted and adhered to with all agents of the State who handle public funds. Respectfully submitted. The readers attention is called to the following errors and omissions : On page 93, third line from the top, read 1,445,000. On page 339, seventh line from top, Murfreesboro should have been put fourth as a wayside shipping point for cotton, having shipped 9,743, and on this account, on page 743, sixteenth line from bottom, Murfreesboro should have been excepted. There are numerous verbal errors, many of which were detected and corrected before the whole edition passed through the press. It is not deemed necessary to point them out specifically. In preparing the manuscript from notes, Tennessee Central College and the Pharmacal College, located at Nashville, were unintentionally omitted in the reference to the educational institutions of Davidson county. |