The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1866-05-08
Texas FARMNe.-A correspondent of the
Wilmington Herald, writing from Brennan,
Texas, says:

Texas FARMNs.-A correspondent of the
| Wilmington Herald, writing from Brennan,
Texas, says:
| Agriculture is here very different from that
common in States occupying more temperate lat
itudes, or where the soil is otherwise constituted
than that Of the Lone Star State. The agricultu-
raj routine of the year, particularly in Middle
Texas, is about follows: You commence
breaking up your stubble land about the begin
ming of January; then the cotton ground must be
ridged; You repair your old fences and build
new, and plant corn about middle of February.
Corn ground is hardly ever ridged; never broken
up; but you plant corn in the water furrow," in
a drill foot apart, six grains to hill, which
when the plant is high enough. The corn rows
are four and half feet apart; on each side
of which the oxen walk when you are blowing
over. AS soon dropped you cover corn with
large turning pillow called "cary," exactly as
the dweller on the old Drowning Creek covers
his peas in April. Corn grows rapidly, green,
luxuriant; SO swiftly indeed, that two plowings
are much usually given. With good
season, and good land, you would, could, should,
or might make, Is or 20 bushels without any
blowing at ali. In that case all you have to Go
is to plant. As stated, on previous occasion,
the average yield of corn in middle Texas is 80
bushels per acre; but on the coast-about the
mouth of the Brazos and Colorado, corn yields
sometimes as high as l25 bushels to the acre.
Peas are never planted alongside the corn as in
the Cape Fear country: Corn planted, you,
about 18th of March, yoke up your oxen-Rum,
Brandy, Punch, Beauregard and others-haul
out your cotton seed, get your little folks ready
and begin to plant cotton. The seed is not roll
ed in dirt and ashes as in our good old State;
but, in the rough furrow made by common
shovel, it is sown with the hand as the dweller
in the hill country sows his wheat. Yet it is
covered with board as in Richmond Duplin
counties, but a triangular harrow is Immediately
run across the ridges, to take off grass and trash
after which the cotton field looks as smooth as a
street. As before stated, cotton here grows
shoulder high; and even after the first of May,
you have still to risk its destruction by four
days norther bringing frost and bail.
In almost all farming operations in Texas the
motive power used is that of oxen.. The OK,
which is high as your head, is, truly, greater
institution than | once thought him. In break
ing up, particularly, horse mule TEEN is very
rarely seen; because horses, even mules, an
able to stand blowing in a soil SO tough and
clayey. The OK alone is equal to the labor, be-
sides you can Craze him on the prairie at night
and pillow him in the day. In breaking up prairie
land, five yoke of oxen are sometimes seen draw
ing one ''cary" pillow throwing furrow of three
or four feet. All wagoning is done by oxen, six
yoke being commonly hitched to a Texas wagon.
When you stop, if the animals are tired, they
lay down in their Jokes, and it is picturesque
sight to see them thus reclining and chewing the
cud around the market places Of the villages,
whilst their masters are trading in the stores.