The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-11 00:00:00

The Future of Texas.

It requires but to look at the map of the United
States, in connection with a statement of compara-
tive advantages, to place Texas in a pre-eminent
position as a new State. The great drift of emi-
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tile region embraced in the States of Illinois, In-
diana, Michigan, lowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota,
Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and other sections
adjacent, are now being subjected to the embarrass-
ments incident to countries far in the interior,
whenever emigration and home consumption are
checked, and surpluses are compelled to seek
markets at long distances from the place of produc-
tion. However multifarious the facilities for travel
and transportation may be, the distances to be over-
come are unavoidably great. The farmer must pay
the cost of transportation until his products reach
the place of consumption. This eats out the price
until he has little left, whilst the cost of transporta-
tion upon his supplies swells their prices to an in-
ordinate degree. This twofold cause of disadvantage
is now operating with a severity in the south-
west which makes the condition of the country and
people both discouraging and irremediable. An
excessive emigration into those States, and its con-
sequent home consumption, might give temporary
relief, only to be followed, however, by greater
embarrassments when over-production again tran-
spires.

- Texas, like New York, Pennsylvania, or Loui-
siana, is differently situated. A few hundred
miles, at most, from the sea-port town, reaches its
productive regions, whilst in the great north-west
it requires almost as many thousands. These
causes of disparity will operate with increased
force. Their result will be that the one country
will be rich in its financial means, whilst the other
will, to a certain degree, remain stationary. Manu-
facturing and its home consumption, if carried far
enough, might change the condition of the North-
west. Agriculture alone cannot do it. Texas
agriculture, on the other hand, will be too profit-
able to allow its enterprise or capital to take
refuge in general manufacturing to much extent.
The region in Texas, peculiarly adapted to the
culture of cotton, is estimated to be adequate to the
production of six millions of bales. The wheat
region is much larger than the State of Illinois,
and produces the heaviest wheat grown in the
United States. Barley grows letter than any other
crop, and will yield from thirty to sixty bushels to
the acre. Oats and rye grow profusely. Corn
grows well, but is subject, in many places, to be
affected by an early draught. Pumpkins, melons,
squashes, and other vegetables of that nature, can
.01;se raised in almost fabulous abundance. Tobacco
of a superior quality is also produced in many sec-
tions of the State. Nutritious grasses grow in all
parts of the State, and almost any variety can be
successfully cultivated. Apples grow well in the
Northern part, peaches on the Southern coast, and
grapes everywhere. Sugar is.: more uncertain—the
warm season not being of sufficient duration to
fully mature the crop.
Nearly the whole of Texas is adapted to the pro-
duction of sheep, wool, and cattle. The wool busi-
ness is probably capable of being made more profit-
able than anywhere elsein the Union ; that is, when
the proper precautions shall have been taken to secure
the flocks from those casual inelernencies of the
weather which have sometimes proved destructive.
The experience of Mr. Kendall and other leading
sheep raisers of Texas justifies us in saying that
the most superior grade of sheep can be raised
upon the native grasses alone, without winter
feeding, at a loss of less than two per cent. from
disease and incidental causes. To sum up, the ag-
ricultural capacity of Texas, for variety and amount,
may perhaps be said to be unequalled elsewhere.
It only requires the care and skill necessary to
With these natural
bring it into requisition,