Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1858-12-22

buted by the Ritor Of this paper to the Texas Alma
nae for 1859. with view Of cal ling the especial aen-
tion Of wheat growers to the facts stated, aud the
views presented in the article We do this knowing
that from cur inexpereucc We're liable to be lei
into errors in treating the subject and with the hope
that wheat growers will give US their practical eSpe-
risnee ip wheat culture, especially where it runs
counter to what we have stated, so that all inaoura
eies and errors may be corrected in future publes-
ton. II tka subject Of prime importation to the
people Of Northern Texas, aud should engage their
earnest attention,
Frm the Ten, Aluan,c ior 1889,
The What Region and Wheat Culture in
Texas.
ny J. W, LATlMEN,
Wheat, within n few years, has become one
OF the staple products Of Texas, and It's eul'
ture has grown into mn Importance TO the og..
rsuural interests of the State little dreamed
Of ten years ago. To show the rapid increase
in its production, il is only necessary TO state,
that in 1850. according 10 the census of that
year, only Al, ,729 bushels were GROW" IN ''c
S'nfr while f, b. n'n'@ 'lul'"i ,.H' n luD'
portion OF N1uhcrn IeNus enwnr urf1 ib.h
lui,nl District D'0Nr, V1uo' COLIN Gray
SON, Goo. Denton W.o Parker l0au'o0,
.E ". pnupt -a.L 1Jflr .iust hHs. no7u
grown iha pos. season mme tmn 2Uj0OOO
bushels, uid lhat, too, wi'h Nu u.moa. mimi
mum Weld per rH.r'. Ten v"otsaau, wheat
was cultivated in iu.c1silrmho quantities,
|mofe as an rxp,rmons Jian otherwise, nUd nj
most. m furnish brsustrAs 90 those districts
OF country inaccessible 10 magae;. II n"s
thus been grown in quantities nearly sufficient
| r 1 nEf fHn cd
River counties for twenty years past. Indeed,
its culture for this purpose was introduced into
the praires of Red River county by the first
settlers, as early as 1888. 1t was the remote
ness and inaccessibility TO market, that forced
the culture Of wheat on tic people OF North :
crn Texas, whose nearest water communlca-
ton with market, was at Shreveport on Red
river, or Houston, on Buffalo Bayou, each at
an average distance of more than two hun
drcd and fifty miles.
THE WHEAT REGION.
The climate of Texas is happily adapted 10
the growth and maturing of the cereals The
climatic range of wheat is greater than that OF
any other staple, as it hourished alike in high
and low attitudes, where the soil and tempero-
ture are congenal, and becomes a cosmopol-
tan in cultivation. Its fexibility in respect to
Temperature is very great. In higher attitudes
its growth is only limited by temperature
sufficient to npen il; in. lower attitudes, in
Itempcratc 'ciimates, by an undue humidity OF
atmosphere. The ripcning period varies from
May, in the Southern climates in the United
Staiee, to July in New York; aud perhaps
August in the extreme Northern districts in
which it is grown. A certain degree of lem
perature is necessary to ri pen wheat, and va
ries with the climate Southern attitudes re-
quire higher temperature than Northern eli
mates, and the temperature required depends
much on the locality, humidity or dryness OF
the atmosphere, etc. In England the mean
temperature required in the ripenng months
is SO Q , and two degrees under that produces
failure of the crop The high nd equable
Temperature prevailing through the wheat re-
gion of Texas during the ripening period
last of April and first of May-rcnders the
maturing of the grain sure and rapid. ltmay
| be said that the whole of Northern and inte
rior Texas and large districts of Eastern and
Western Texas, are wheat growing regions,
though we by no means assert that the larger
portion Of the country named will ever pro-
duce it as a staple, as other crops must be
more prottnbe and as most, wheat will only
be grown for home consumption. The wheat
region proper of Texas-that region peculiar
ly adapted by climate, temperate, dryness, and
elevated locality, the absence of humidity in
the atmosphere, and the strength and capacity
of its soil to withstand drouth, etc, so far as
vet developed, extends from 81 1.2 and 80
degrees of north latitude to Red River
including 9 or 21.2 degrees of latitude,
and reaching from the 96th TO the 99th de-
| e he mr.
ganized counties of Fannin, Hunt, Gnyson,
Collin, Dallas Kaufman, Ellis, Navarro Hill,
johnson, Tarrant, Parker, Palo Pinto, Young,
Wise, Jack, Denton, Cook, and the new coun-
ties of Montague Clay, Dimmet, Wichita,
etc. 1t has been grown quite successfully the
past season in McLennan, Bell, Williamson,
and Travis, and contiguous country extending
west of the Colorado; and the country en-
bracing those counties may soon be ranked IN
the wheat region. The district, however, be-
leved TO be best adapted to its growth, making
the largest yield, producing the best grain, and
affording the surest crop, lies between the 32d
and 34th parallels, and is confined to the prai-
re country. The soil in this district is chiefly
rich black prairie loam, resting upon strata
of limestone, called in the country "wblte
rock" usually from to 10 feet below the sur
face, but occasionally though rarely cropping
out at the top The soil, however, varies in
color in different localities, and in places, as
sumes bright copper complexion Its strength
and capacity to Withstand drouih Is believed to
be in proportion to its blackness. The mulatto
or copper colored proires are more kindly and
easily cultivated. The crop ripens on them
from ten days to two weeks earlier than on
the black prairies, and where drouths do not
prevail, the yield is equally as good. Wheat
grows uxuriantly on the sandy timbered lands
in the same lahtudes, but it yields easily to
drouth, the yield not SO great, and the crop