Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1840-10-13
PRAIRIES IN TEXAS.

AS nearly all the woodlands OF the
settled portions of the republic are now
surveyed and occupied by settlers, the
attention of those citizens who have not
vet located lands, will necessarily be
turned to the prairies. These have hith-
erto been considered as almost valueless,
and have been almost entirely neglected.
There cdn be little doubt, however, that
under a judiciOus system of cultivation,
the soil Of the prairies will be found as
productive as that Of the woodlands
The same general agencies that have
combined to form the immense superb
cial accumulations which stretch from
the coast 10 the hilly regions of Texas,
have operated so equally throughout the
whole Of the level and undulatmg re-
gions, that the chemical constituents Of
the soil are quite similar, and the soil
everywhere is nearly equally FERTILE
The principal difference in the charac-
ter of the prairie soil, and that of the
woodlands, consists in larger share OF
vegetable matter contained in the latter.
This soon wears out by cultivation, and
in one or two years the difference be-
comes almost if not entirely imperceptl-
Bile. Many of our planters are so well
aware of this fact, that they frequently
enclose the prairie lands adjoining the
wooded bottoms in preference TO the
woodlands; because they consider that
the difference in the product of the soils
would not compensate for the trouble OF
clearing. The principal objection to SET
Ting the prairies, is the difficulty of pro-
curing wood and water. The latter OBJ
lection, however, may be easily obviated,
as water fully equal TO that of the streams
may be procured any where within fifty
miles Of the coast, by digging to the
depth of forty or fifty feet, and often at
the depth of twenty feet The wafer
thus procured will answer all culinary
purposes and for the watering of the cat
lie: while for the purpose Of beverage,
rain water could be collected in cistcrns
at but little expense. This IS equally
wholesome whether collected under the
arctic skies or in the scorchlng regions
under the equator. The objection rola-
tive to the difficulty Of procuring wood,
could not be 50 easily obvIaled, and for a
few years the settler would suffer much
Inconvenience OH this account; but even,
tually this could be completely over
come. There are several species cEtrees
indigenous to this country, that grow sc
rapidly that they would furnish a full
supply Of wood in three or four years.
Among these are the locust and the pop
uar, which, It's said, when transPlanted
afford trunks sufficiently large for fire.
wood in about three years. The China
tree also grows with great rapidity, and
in three or four years produces from the
seed a trunk several inches in diameter
Experience proves that these will flour,
ish as we'll in the midst Of our prarles as
upon the borders Of our streams, when
properly secured from the ravages Of the
fires. These trees could be easily plan
ted at Seasons when the farmer is gener-
QIly entirely at leisure. In the 'barrens'
Of Kentucky, where the whole country
was covered with growth OF small bush
es when first settled, the inhabitants
have cultivated several species Of forest
trees, and now procure plentiful sup
ply of firewood and rail timber from
groves of their own pIantlng--H3UStOH
paper.