Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-08-20

There SUBMITS are generally fiat, and tult-
ed with dense thickets of cedar. Beyond
this hllly country, another level or gently
undulatlng region extends northward TO-
words the Red river. This section is a.
bout one hundred miles broad, on the me-
ridlan of Austin, and gradually widens
eastward, and contracts westward of this
line. 1t encloses the Great Salt Lake of
the Biasos. 1t is bounded on the north.
west by range of mountains which fur
nIsh the sources of the Red river, the Bra
Ises, Colorado, and other streams on the
east, and the Rio Puerco and other tribu-
tarles of the Rio Grande on the west.
The praires of Texas form an impor.
tant feature of It's surface. They COM
| prise about four-fifths of the level, and
nearly one-half of the undu!ating region.
They vary in dimensions from five miles
to one hundred in length-breadth about
one-fourth the length. The size is pro-
portioned to the distances between the
principal streams. In the western coun-
ties, the prairies, are beautifully diversified
with small groves of timber; those of the
level region, however, are entirely open.
The soil of the prairies is remarkably uni
form in its character throughout the whole
country, consisting generally of a black
vegetable mould, varying from four inches
to four feet in depth, resting upon beds of
sandy or clayey loan. This soil differs
but little in fertility from that of the bot
tom lands-it is covered with an abund-
ance of nutritious grass, affording an mex
haustlble supply of pasturage. There is.
probably, no class of men upon the globe
who can live more independently, or with
less care and labor, than the herdsmen of
Texas. The cattle feed out upon the pra.
Tries or in the wooded bottoms the whole
year, and require almost as little attention
as the wild deer or the bounding buffalo.
The scenery of the prairies which lie
east of the Colorado valley, is too mo-
notonous to be agreeable. The larger
prairles may, from their immensely, aston
ish and surprise the beholder,lik the broad
UNMARRIED expanse of the ocean. The
smaller ones, with their even, uniform car
pet of verdure, walled IN with allforest
trees on every side. must please the eye,
and wrap the senses for moment; but
they fail to enchain attention, to command
admiration, to excite wonder, and make
lasting impressions upon the mind. They
possess none of that constantly VARYING
charm of novelty, peculiar to hlIly or
mountainous scenery; and the tourist soon
becomes fatigued in noting the remarka-
bic uniformity and resemblance of feature
that characterize them. The landscapes
are but continued series of prairies
skirted by forests, from the banks of the
San Jacinto to the Colorado.
This country, as its surface indicates.
affords almost every variety of soil. In
the level and undulating regions, it is ex-
ceedingly fertile, consisting, in MANY
places, of rich, deep, calcareous loan,
in which sandy and clayey particles are
intimately combined with carbonaceous
vegetable mould. On the banks of Sc
veral of the streams the soil assumes a
reddish.yellow color, from the abundance
of ferruglnous earth mingled with it
This is peculiarly characteristic of the vi
cinity of the Red river, and level country
on the Brosos, the Caney, and the Colora.
do. On these streams the soils seem TO
contain all the elements of fertility. and
are probably unsurpassed by any on the
globe. Those of the level and undulating
regions differ but little in their chemical
constituents, and evince that they have
been formed from a common sedimen,arv
dePosite. The undulating sections are
generally regarded as more fertile than
the level country. This may be OWING
to the fact, that the constituents of the soil
are there more intimately blended than in
the level country; consequently. the fer
tillzlng influence is more generally difus-
ed. The soil of the billy region differs
widely. In the valleys, the alluyial accu-
mutations are generally very deep, and
the soil is similar TO that of the undulating
region: it consists chiefly of a friabIe, sandy. |
calcareous loan, remarkably fertile
Near the Colorado, 1t encloses many flinty,
rolled pebbles, which are gradually de-
composing and imparling siiceous char
acter. The hills have generally vervI
light thin soil, consisting chiefly of layer
of vegetable mould only a few inches deep
resting upon horizontal strata of lime
stone. The productions of Texas are
similar to those OF the middle and south.
ern States of The Union, with the addition
of tropical fruits-cvery thing yielding i'm.
mensely abundant returns for the little la.
Der bestowed. The forests furnish vast
quantities of valuable timber, consisting
of live oak, pine, cedar, mesquit, (Which
nearly resembles mahogany,) bois dare,
and other timber highly priced for cabinet
furniture. II has been estimated that the /
forests OF Texas would alone furnish
supply Of live oak, sumeient for all the
nayles Of the world. The mesquit grass,
L:l . - :. a So