The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-14 00:00:00

Wheat Culture in Texas.

In a former article we undertook to show that
the State of Texas, being possessed in an eminent
degree of the natural elements of wealth, required
but the energy and enterprise necessary on the part
of its citizens to place it among the foremost of the
United States. Whilst speaking of its various
agricultural resources, we referred incidentally to
wheat as one of its most important staples. Cer-
tain facts within our knowledge relative to the cul-
ture of this cereal in that State induces us to make
especial reference to it now.
The cultivation of wheat in Texas, as an article
of commerce, is comparatively of recent date, as may
be seen from the fact that, in 1850, according to the
census, only 41,729 bushels were grown in the entire
State, while in the year 1860, faking the minimum
average per acre (say 15 bushels), the yield could
not have been short of 2,000,000 bushels in that
portion of the State alone, extending from the 32d
to the 34th degree north latitude, and from the 96th
to the 99th degree west longitude, known as the
"wheat region."

The climate of the region particularly referred to
is admirably adapted to the growth of cereals,
which flourish alike in high and low latitudes ; and,
in truth, it may be said that the whole northern
and interior sections of Texas, as well as certain
portions of the eastern and western districts are
capable of producing wheat and similar grain to a
most profitable account. That portion known as the
tc wheat region" seems best adapted to its growth
the soil being principally a rich black prairie loam
resting upon a strata of limestone. The soil, however,
varies in colour according to locality, assuming
in some places a bright copper complexion, and its
capacity to resist drouth is found to be in propor-
tion to its blackness. The prairie lands are there-
fore more productive than the timbered or rolling
sections.

Wheat is sown from the Ist of September to the
Ist of November, but more commonly about the
middle of the intervening month. Very little care
is taken by the planters of Texas to prepare the
ground for its reception, it being the usual custom
to sow the seed broadcast over the land after the
crop of corn has been gathered, and then plough or
harrow it into the ground. After this has been
done no further attention is required until harvest,
which occurs from the Ist to the last of May. From
this it will be seen that the culture of wheat in this
region requires but from four to six weeks' labour
in the year, which includes the time of planting and
harvesting, and it is estimated that one hand will be
required to every twenty-five acres cultivated. If
the wheat sown in, the fall should fail from any
cause, a second crop may be sown in February or
March, and will produce well, but is more liable to
rust.

An average of twenty-five or thirty bushels per
acre may be relied upon as a moderate yield, when
the season is favourable, and the quality of the
grain is superior to that produced in most of the
northern States. It always goes over the standard
weight-60 pounds to the bushel—and rarely falls
under sixty-five ; much of it reaches 70 pounds, and
some of it weighs even as high as 74 pounds.
It will thus be seen that the capacity of Texas, in
point of soil, for the production of wheat is aston-
ishing, and may sound fabulous to those who have
not seen and examined its boundless fields of fertile
lands, extending from Red River to the Brazos, and
from Kauffman county to Belknap. Its resources
in this regard cannot well be over-estimated. There
is nowhere else to be found so large a body of rich,
productive land, favoured with so genial a climate.
It is an under estimate to put down
or 384,000 acres, as good tillable
Thetwothirds countyacres.
o fof Dallas contains 900 square miles, or
this, h s
land.
culture,
'rake
leavingtwo-thirds
o one-third, this,thi r(1 256,000 acres, for
wheat , 128,000, for the
576,000
other small grains and produce—put the average
yield per acre at 20 bushels, and we have 5,120,000
bushels as the product of one county. Collin,
Grayson, and perhaps other counties, have a larger
proportion of tillable land than the one mentioned
above, and can produce more, though some coun-
ties cannot produce so much. The average capacity
of the counties embraced in the cc wheat region"
may be safely set down at 5,000,000 bushels each,
or an aggregate for the twelve counties, embracing
an area of 10,800 square miles of 60,000,000
bushels!

In contemplation of this immense production,
which will doubtless approach realisation from year
to year, we are forced to the conclusion that many
years will not elapse before this great staple will be
compelled to seek a foreign market. The comple-
tion of the " Houston and Texas Central Railway"
will open an avenue to the very heart of the " wheat
‘
mayexpect to see trains of
freight Houston and Galveston
regn
cars
and
arriving then
heavily laden with flour and wheat for shipment to
riving we
at
Northern and European ports to supply these mar-
kets before their own wheat can be matured.—
/Inglo-American Times.

It has been stated that the directors of the Union
Bank of Australia have .resolved upon a dividend of
£2 2s. 6d. per share, being at the rate of 8i per
`cent. for the half-year.