Traces the development of the Tennessee Valley from its original state through the period when by bad farming the land was ruined to its present highly industrialised condition. The change has been brought about by the Tennessee Valley Authority, a Federal body with the power to build dams on the rivers in seven states. The rivers are now navigable at all seasons, hydro-electric power is available over large areas and there are chemical industries producing fertilisers and other agricultural products. The TVA has made possible these industries and brought huge areas back into production at a much higher level than formally.