The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1858-05-14
FOR THE INDEPENDENT PRESS
Agricultural Prospects in Texas.
DASvILLr, NoSIooMELY Co., TExAs.
March so, 1858.

March so, 1853. (
Mr.. Edttor-Dc0r Sir :-Rrgardirg nv re.
moval to Tcxns measure resulting in eignal
advantage to myself with equal promise of ad
vantage to my growing family, it occurs to me
that it is sort of duty. OH my part. to let my
friends aud neighLors, etill resi.ling in South
Carolina. know Of the advantages removal 10
Texas will afford them also.
Promising that the rule "let well be-" is one
| founded in practical experience, rernurk that
u" o' 'hose persons who are comfortably set.
"eo' making sufficient support and ENJOYING
''e'r lie nnd being, would do we'll to "l.t
wei oe; Remain where they now arf and ON.
! JOY the comforts of their prcscn. o,,j;,;o,
particularly those who have o,]vo,.., ;,,,, IL.
! iattcr quarters of life. But there mr.. many
WI" are not so happily situated, or who cult.
|"'e l'nd that docs not repay their labor. or
VINO nave Young fnrnilcs growing up, who they
can better provide land for, in the uuworn ap,,
! fertile regions Of the West, or who a.s;r.
: change for benefit Of health. or other cau.. or
wh" require more room for expan SION or who
""S'fe !" enter INTO stock raising pursuits -
mere arc others again whose highly vital or
! E"h'zat'ons lit them for the labor md useful
ness ot tho pioneer, an ambitious ones VIII,
desire to enj'y and take their part of the best
| 'he world can atf"rd, whether i, lie in hicb
Office, honorable trust, or grca. entcrnrzcs. n
| These. aud all of them, and many more. our
| ''a'e lieN"s) presents reasonable Inducements
Tor removing hi,he The lands are rich, anil
| OF reasonable prices. Titles good, climate
mill. health good, society we'll ordered
churches, srho"s, temperance. fratrrnal and
either societies everywhere sufficient. unless i,
he III the farther frontier. and cv.ry protection
"l person. right aud property enjoyed, tha: can
"e any where else; in fact. in many RESPECTS
; We are cqaal with many other o.,lcr Stutcs.
l left home in Abhevill- District, on the
second day Of October 1850, and landed with
my family, white and black, Of fourteen Der
sons, all in g"oI health AMI teams in inc or.!cr
in M""ts"nery County. Texas on the six;l,
day OF D-ce;"h'r following. meeting With five
lay detention IN Mississippi. hu, having good
weather all the way. My expenses for two
Teams AMI t"nrtecL person. in all, one hundred
aud sixty dollars. Shortly after arriving, |
c"'nnicIiecd work On Mr.. Caliwcll's place. com
h'nins our forces, and counting them equal to
nine full hands. Having but 40 acres open
land, we were occupied until late in the season
I" clearing, breaking up and putting in one
hundred acres more, having also. to build
dwelling, negro, corn and sinok. house, stables.
DC. The greater part Of the land being new
and long drought prevailing in the summer,
we could not make Il full crnp. but wo made
sufficient corn and twenty-five bales Of cotton,
each weighing over five hundred pounds. which
at different prices sold. brought. viz: llk, Is.
l3!. Sl,5?2.5n. Our .xpcuccs being for corn
Mt 50 cents buslc bacon at IL cents, and
pork at cents, about siOAoo: leaving nett
crop first Year, rev land. buildings. fencing
and other drawbacks, si.lo2.5D.
Our crop Of ls37--our land hciny in .,oo.l
order. III" buildings to be put up, and seasons
favorable, We put in 40 acres MOLE making Iv
acres ot:lanh, loo acres second crop, and 10
acres entirely new ground. Onr crop turned
out 81 bales of cotton. md 2Suu or $ 900 bush
els OF corn. Succeeding in getting Is bales of
:his crop to early market. l54 cents was real.
:Zcd, for ID bales II cents n lot sent later to
market; aud for the last 81 bales, sent Off by
! the river San Jarnto near by. We expect sales
; ut len cents, market average at the time arriv-
ed. acct. sales not returned. Thence the crop Of
1857, I'll bnles averaging $50 lbs. each, stand
, lis IN S3.G93.25, with 500 bushels of corn to
sell. nj Sd cents per buslcl our consumption
OF corn here being lessenej by the supply OF
; prairie and woods native grasses.
! have purchased tract of $50 acres OF land,
! part costing me $3.50 per mere, and n part
600 per acre, n new plncc. but as my land lics
well, nnd is easily brought into cultivation,
with prospect Of good seasons. hope and
: expect to make pretty fur crop.
My success in The crop of 1857 was us fair
| average one, having no sickness 10 my family
and all things being lucky throughout, greatly
| aided, however. hy energy, perseverance, and
strict attention to business OH my part: but the
farmer of good crops in South Carolina. can
also be the farmer Of like crops IN Texas, for
the land here very kindly yields returns in pro
portion to the care bestowed upon it. These
details given because they of tho kind
n far ner wishes supplied. when asking for in
| formation about Texas farming The sane ex-
prrence and th: same results under like condi-
| tinns. can t.c obtained ut hundreds Of sources
Lands Of like quality to mine. can be purchased
all over the State, At prices rang ing from $3.oO
to $1,000 per acre. according to situation and
Advantages. aud time given for payment. I
| procure my main annual supplies at Houston
/ City distant 60 miles ere everything Of
every variety. nearly, from ordinary cam.
lric needle, To Fl ifty.horse Houston or Calves
ton city-buildci steam cneinc-for they have
! large stcau, aud mill factories. al either plncc
-cnn he procured. The city Of Houston shipa
this year 6o.oOO heavy bales of cotton, and
Galveston much lnrger quantity. including
receipts from the Trinidad and Brnzos and Ne
! cher and Sabine and Bernardo rivers. Hence
there must TO a correspondent commerce to
meet and return these valuable exports: that
Of Huston estimated at three and half millions
of dollars, and Galveston in like proportion to
! Las