The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1872-08-22
STOCK RAISING IN TEXAS.
Sand Mounds on the Laguna Madre-
Sheep-Raising and it's Profits.


The correspondent of New York pa
per writes from Carrcitos, Texas, July
% The surface of the land along the
western shore of the Laguna Madre, and
for so or 100 miles back is level and not
more than ten or twelve feet above low
tide mark. There are some slight undula-
tions, but these are caused by the shift
ing sands. These shifting sands are one
of the great features of the county. They
extend for distance of sixty miles north
and south along the coast, and fifty or
more back into the country.
The sand is very fine, and, during the
prevalence of strong winds from either
the north or the south, it is blown about
furiously and promiscuously. The whole
surface of the earth is covered more or
less with it. In some places it is only two
or three inches deep, and here the grass
grows well, even rankly, and makes fine
pasturage Immediately underneath the
sand there is a deep, black loamy soil,
which is very rich, and which, when the
seasons are favorable, yields good crops
Of corn, cotton, vegetables, &c.
There are ridges and mounds, or banks,
of sand scattered all over the country, Of
various sizes, lengths, heights, and ages.
The sand is driven before the wind until
it meets some obstacle that breaks its
force, when the sand falls to the ground,
thus beginning deposit. There are
ridges of sand two or three miles long,
and from five to twenty five feet high,
aud they have apparently been undisturb-
ed for many years The grass is begin
ming to grow over them, and young live
oaks trees to spring up. In fact, on some
ridges there are live oaks trees apparent
ly hundred years old. The course of
these ridges is east and west, at right an
giles to the direction of the winds and the
coast The larger ones do not exceed in
width, at the base, more than 200 feet =
On each side, the rich black soil is gener-
ally clear Of sand.
In some Of these formations are I'M
bedded large live oak trees, with only
their top limbs out, while in other places
the trees have formerly been in the sand;
but from some cause, after remaining in
that condition for long time, perhaps
ZUU years, the WiDuS nave DloHu away
the sand, and thus left the roots that had
grown out from the body of the tree max
ed and exposed. | noticed one tree, near
the road leading from Brownsville to Cor
pus Cristi, that had grown on top of
sand ridge when the ridge was about ten
feet high. After the tree was OF some
size the ridge seems to have increased six
feet more 10 altitude, and remained so
for many years-say 100, judging by the
size and appearance of the trees that have
grown on it since its second elevation
Then the wind made break through the
ridge at this particular place, and soon
dcnuded the tree, trunk and roots, and it
now stands supported by the bare roots,
so that man can walk under the main
body OF the tree by passing between these
uncovered pillars. This is the oldest in
stance, but there are hundreds of others
in the same predicameDt. There are
many banks of sand that are yet moving,
and new ones are forming, which move
across the country slowly westward. The
new formations arc entirely bare OF vegc-