New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-11-09
-.yIs AND ITS CAPABILITIES.
49, AZ TIE ". Y. Tribune.

,rx.st extent Of territory, richness in mineral
a ,ecetable productions, and genial climate
s.wn;,h sure guarantee for future greatness fhen
tTexss destined to become one Of the greatest
sonntries in the world. Stretching through nine
degrees Of latitude and eleven of Longitude, US
boundaries include a territory more thaa n'o
times as large as Pennsylvania, diversined WIN
every variety Of scenery, from the ievei OF gen'y
unaulatiDg prairie to the broken ana sohe.imI'
hsrreu formations which stretch OIL TO the nortn
,.e.t and west. The whole line Of Texas coast Is
A low, level prairie. Advancing further i9te tns
interior. the country assumes the moro cheeriui
sspect Of a gently-rolling upland. This Is enll'
iyened everywhere by clumps OF trees, dotting the
face of the country at hazard, and by the long and
N,rtuous LIKES OF timber which skirt the borders OF
The streams. Frequently the river bottoms are
covered. for several miles on either side, with
dense forests Of large timber aud under-brush,"
furnishing retreat for bears, panthers wild cats,
pecears, wolves and other wild animals. In the
northern and eastern portions oil the state, the
country becomes still rolling large tracts OF
which are covered with dense forests, while to
fbe west and northwest the timber is generally
less abundant and the face of the country rocky
and mountainous. 80
Everywhere in Texas, even in the ol1est-setted
portions, deer and other wild game are found IN
The greatest abundance l have seen several
large herds at once from the window OF an Inn on
the public highway. In those portions where
civilization has not yet epcroached, the buffalo
and wild horse roam unrestrained in their native
freedom.
The capacities Of Texas for wealth and prosper
ity can hardly be overestllnated. bordering, as
she does, close upon the tropics, aud stretching
several hundred miles into the higher regions OF
the north, she possesses almost every variety OF
climate. This, acting upon soil OF inexhaustlDle
fertility renders her one Of the garden-spots OF
the world. Almost every agricultural product,
whether Of the temperate zones or OF the tropics
c,Ii,, uIt cd
among these articles, as cultivated at present, is
cotton. This great staple can be produced here
in larger quantities to the acre, and OF quality
6ner than that produced in any OF the older States
The stalk attains greater size and hight, the
bolIs are larger and more numerous, aud the fiber
n longer This at least, has been the testimony OF
all the planters with whom have cOnversed, who
have had experience both here and in the older
sottongrowing States The cotton is not liable
to injury from the early frOsts which frequently
visit the crops in Mississippi and Alabama, ana
from the mdness of the climate 1T can be
gathered at leisure during the whole of the winter
months. The best quality of sea-lsland cotton
may also be produced on the Gulf coast and on
the islands which border it. 1t is difficult to as
certain at any time what is the exact cotton crop
Of Texas. since part of it leaves the State by the
way of Red River, part through the port oil Cal
weston, and part through other ports on the coast.
This year the number OF bales brought TO Galveston
for depressing and shipment, l am told, will ex-
ceed 100000 and the ratio of increase at this
port for the last three years has been about 33
per cent.
1t is claimed here, also, that sugar may be pro-
duced with the same facility as cotton, or even
greater. At present, however, the sugar crop is
small not amounting TO enough to supply the de-
mand at home. This may be accounted for frem
the fact that il requires more experience to Guilt
yate il successfully, and considerably more capt.
tal at the commencement. But it is confidently
believed by many who well understand the nature
Of Texas soil, that the sugar crop must eventu-
ally become the largest in the State. To show
that this opinion prevails abroad, as well as at
home, quote few lines from De Bows Review
Of 1863. The editor says:
"Mr Cbsppomier states the product Of sugar in
Texas, this last season, TO have been ii 023 hogs
heads Of somewhat lighter weight than our Loulslana
hcgsbesds, averaging one thousand pounds each.
Mr.. Champomier ALEC speaks very fayoraby OF the
sugar crop OF Texas which State is destined to be-
come immensely productive in that crop. A large
portion Of the State well adapted to the cutva-
ton Of sugar as LOUISIANA, aud rlere is ouy needed
Che experience of the Louisiana manufacturers to
able Texas to produce sugar equal to any,
That portion of Texas best adapted to the cult
walton OF sugar is more than twice as large as the
whole State Of Louisiana; so that with these
data before us, IL s not difficult to conjecture
whatmust eventually be the amount of that article
produced in the State.
Asthe cultivation of wheat and other farinaceous
grains ia less profitable with slave labor than that
this branch Of agriculture have not yet been fully
developed. No grain as yet has been produced so
extensively as at all times to supply the demand
athome Corn may be produced in any quantity
In nearly every part OF the State and those plant
ers living in neghborhoods where cotton aud sugar
were almost exclusively produced, who in view of
the prospective demand have had the sagacity TO
turn their entire attention 10 il, have made its
cultivation very profitable indeed. l have seen
accounts from different parts Of the State stating
the average crop on some plantations as high as
7b and even 100 bushels to the acre.
Wheat may be produced in all the more elevated
portions Of eastern and western Texas. In some
parts Of the west experiments have been made
on a large scale and with the farest success. Rye
grows spontaneously on the praires, as wheat does
On the mountains OfPeru.
The catalogue of the principal fruits Of Texas
ssns about az follows: Apples, peaches, pears,
piums, grapes, oranges, lemons, Pomegrsnstes,
hgs, spricots and bananas. The last three how
ever, are confined principally to the coast. Nearly
all these huits have seen growing in the greatest
mxuriance but theE cultivation ia very limited as
yet, that OF cotton and sugar occupying the almost
entire attention and wealth Of the State The !
apples, like those produced In Chill are said 10 !
want that exquisite favor which belongs 10 the 1
luscious specimens produced in the northern States /
of our own country. But when the farmers of
Texas 60 to work in earnest to plant orchards, /
and carefully to cultivate the trees by grating, /
pruning and other processes this fruit without /
doubt will equal the best specimens produced in |
any country; at least, can see no reason why il |
should not. As 70 peaches, can testify to the /
excellence Of this fruit from much personal expe. /
rence. No where have helped myself to better |
peach-cobblers than in Texas; and what is better
sti this fruit natures here before the sam in the
North IL much more than half grown. This sum. !