New-York tribune., 1869-06-24
THE SOUTHERN STATES.
TEXAS.
,,yp CLIMATE, SOIL, RESOURCES, AND INDUCE
he" MENTs TO nIMIGRANTs.


- 80 % Tho Northwestern States for &" life in the far
West has deemed that relation OF his impressions
and exerience might prove both useful ana interesting
to large class Of people, who, Ike himself nave ious
indulged tho hope Of seeking an abode III the MORO
svorcd attudos OF the South. Having Travelled some
what In most sections OF the Unon ana also peIuseu
attepuyey tho publications Of Emgrant Aid Societies
6c and although had determined TO halt somewhere
south of the and Dixon line, was some ue i'll
fixing upOn a location answering most cOupletey III!
desires wished to combine farming and stoekrasing'
with the opportunity Of expanding the latter Without
limit and at the time enjoy the advantage OF as
mild climate as could be found in the Republic Upon
looking over map the United States was led to re-
iect the northern OF Southern States from virginia
10 Missouri being not far enough removed from ex
tremes Of cold TO my purposes Advancing still
further southwark the map and into the cotton REGION
we do not find among the cold States Of the South
enough Of the substantial grasses to tempt the stock
raiser at least for the present
The broad aud fertile lands and comparatively mild cli-
mate Of Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska were by no
means overlooked stll, the question arose win me
whether II were not best TO first the STOCK Ie
gions % tho Far West-regons long famous lor
perennial pasture and herds countless in Oh oses
and cattle And here let observe that' MIuoukn
Texas has been known to our People since 'o ' Vi io
revolution and had attained TO cOnslueIaue ueioo u
prosperity and development previous " 'he I"o val
vet as regards information about pracuca points WHICH
,pust e ret and experienced by settler II has
been in reality TO the people OF the North at east
terra iucooniia Both its advantages ana disadvantages
have been seriously exaggerated II person under
stands the language Of meeOrOogY, he may by studying
fe repor OF the OF climate TO be found In the
Texas Almanac and elsewhere get tolerably correct
idea OF the peculiar climate OF this region But then you
must consider that Texas is almost empire in ITSELF
including many degrees Of latitude and longitude. so
that descriptions Of SOIL climate productions, &c ap-
pcabe TO one geographical district may need important
IN ofh
State.
You will see at once by referring to map OF
North America that Texas, by virtue Of geograph-
ical position has q climate peculiar TO itself beyond
almost any similar Of the Northern hemisphere
Reaching southwark almost to the line Of the Tropc of
Cancer and embracing considerable extent OF coast
line OF the Gulf Of Mexico the climate Of the lower half
Of the State OF up 10 800 North latitude may be said to
be at once tropical and temperate 1t on these la
tudes that the great atmospheric currents OF the
Northern hemisphere meet and cross each other The
south wind-the rainbearing wind from the Equator
comes envened and tempered by the Gulf 1t has Just
crossed and the descending north wind, dry and cold,
from the Arctic regions is shOrn OF its intensity ana us
course broken in waves Of but two three days dura
ton Winter by the thick stratum OF south WIND
which is always present at some altitude In the atios
phere There can be question but the Gulf OF Mexico
controls the climate Of Texas more distinctly than 1t
does any other portion Of the continent. Indeed the
traveller in the Southern States passing along the line OF
500 TO 500 North latitude finds between the Sabine and
the Rio Grandc variations in botanical development that
attest this.
uispot the place here to discuss the nature Of those
profound variations in the characteristics Of structure
anti species Of the vegetable kingdom which induced
by variations climatic conditions 1t is sufficient to
notice the fact and plants Of the species
as those belonging atitudes present here marked
and important deviations growth and structure
Among forest the oak for instance in Central Texas
exhibits nearly the same varieties OF species as st Inc
North, but with changed characteristics Of each. The
tree is crubby rarely reaching % fesl IN mght ana the
variety known as post OAK Whlch Is nearest III quat 10
the white Of the North Is far behind the latter in the
tOuchness and durability Of its timber But the Spanish
and burr oak very tough and what is termed cross
known as yellow oak through the Northern States.
The live oak grows everywhere almost in Texas, and Is
%f TeSss il directly to te CplfNa The streams tending
south souheastery I'm their main direction The face
OF the country mostly uudnating, forming what might
'S'u %ei mSered aS With al varieties necessary for
building purPosesEEood pine ana cypress, Win que
tra and Western well enough rmbcred for pur
Ses poses 81 bor and and s is s Of ucen size along the
streams TO furnish great deal OF valuable nmDer IoF
noticed by any one the great beauty of the blackwa
nut Of Texasar surprising I'm color and grain any walnut
OF the North and more diversified with and branch
es than ormahOgany Texas imports all her fnr,
nture, even a common chair or bedstead; having, at
the same time the best cabinetwOods have ever seen,
and abundant watsrpower throughout the state -.
thorny and bushy tree with iernke leaves, IS spread
ing rapidly throughout Western Texas lts branches,
when woven between thcset posts form what Is eaed
The Mexican fence which is cheap ana durable, ana Ger
tainy bull strong ana " pig ught; IHe MESQUITE
pod filed with small beans WIlcn STOCK ueiour
greedy. Together with the mesquite tmUeF louhd he
mesquite muskee grass This grass Is found ia several
distinct varieties, ana for nutuVe quaues consde IL
equal not superior. 70 any other TO be found on the
Continent The running or Jointed, muskeet runs over
the ground like vine, extending many Ieet IIO te pa
rent root and continually propagatng Itself by eeers IN
The upright musEeet is a slender leaved stalk like the
June grape Of the Middle States growing to about the
same hight The head resembles that OF the common oat
and consists OF number or seed grains each lurHSneu
with beard, and about the size OF blnal oat
gram Horses aud cattle feed on this grass when ull oi
seed especially IS Rreedly as they would hreheu oas
and the grain evidently highly nutritious Ihls grain
rpeus late IN May II forms the best grazing sod ever
jonted variety especially can haIdIy Dc iea or
troddcn OUT 1t is hardy. In Western Texas notWith
standing the presence Of countless herds OF hoses ana
cattle is not unusual 70 meet meaaO"s on musAeot as
thck and tall Northern Timothy, and seeming to
invite the scythe AID the mower Besides tne Muskee
Texas has several other Narleues OF gIassl Dut iH
my estimation they are far inferior 20 II though OF ord
nary excellence for pasurage and growing aOundahty
During portion OF the year the muskeet Is DOM grass
and gram and always good pastgIage
As regards soil geology OF Texas exhibits soil ex
eecdugy rich in mineral ana eafIny s wen "a
by deposits Of aluyum varying from one 70 zen eet ana
10 thickness. and forming the DaeK lann as t IS
termed IN distinction from the sandy regions TINS black
soil a mixture OF vegetable deposits ana dsDtegratea
rocky elements 10 is exceedingly adhesive Wheh Wet
but easily worked when dry and Judging from us pro
duciyeuess, and the manner Of Us Ormaoh must DC at
uudeaid by very heavy substratum OF rock, into the
composition OF which lime and yanOus Othef minerals
enter largely. it Is my opinion that when the climate
nd soil O Texas properly understood, and the suitable
variety found, wheat raising Will DO highly successlu IN
after Indifferent tilage Yet judge that Suitable
will be introduced, perhaps from some portion
Respecting present modes Of cultivation Imust remark
that it wonder 70 Northern men how crops OF any
kind made az ALL owing 70 the very Indifferent poW'
ing pracced here The best steel plows are needed In
Texas. aud these can only be used properly when the