The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-04-03

essary to compare my letters upon the
two headings, "What are some the
advantages of Northern Texas?"
would say soil of great depth and fer.
| tility. The soil here varies from q few
inches to many feet in depth, strongly
impregnated with lime; hence its fertil-
| ity and adhesive properties. I now re-
| fer to the black, waxy region Of counA
| try. For Northern Texas is composed
of a waxy and sandy region, and it is
sometimes the case that both kinds of
soil abound on the same farm. This
waxy region is sometimes nearly level,
then again more or less undulating
The pIairies are generally free from
timber, but skirted by creek bottoms
thickly covered with timber, generally
small-affording an abundance of fire.
wood. Ravines frequently reach for
some distance, too, from these creeks
into the prairies, and afford good deal
OF frewood.
Timber is also taking the place of
grass, as it disappears on much of the
prairie land. There is plenty of fire.
wood here, though it is not always con-
venient. This land will never wash
away; if it should become little tired
you have only to subsoil, and subsoil>
ing pays. No stumps or rocks, as a
general thing, to break or injure plows
or other farming utensils. Many use
horses through the entire year and do
not shoe them, but it is best to keep
regular riding horses shod, through the
dry season at least. / have been riding
one almost daily, shod on the fore feet,
for three months, and my shoe bill this
far is twenty-five cents, the cost of re-
moving three shoes. 1t is fiHe region
for using the various kinds of farming
machinery, both with reference 10 the
field and the roads
The best of roads are to be found here
during three>fourths of the year. The
winters are milder than in Tennessee,
and the cold spells do not last so long;
hence, much less stock feed is re-
qu1red. The gentle breezes that sweep
over the prairies during the summer
nerve the white man so that he can all
most compete with the black man in |
the sultry fields of Louisiana in the Gull |
ture of cotton. But now let US briefly |
notice the amount of large and small |
grain produce per acre: corn, 80 to go |
bushels; oats, 40 to go bushels; wheat, Is |
to 30 bushels; barley, 40 to 70. From |
three to eight hundred pounds of lint |
cotton is raised per acre, but are more |
liable to be injured by dry weather than |
in Tennessee. Grapes, plums, peaches,
pears and berries, and melons, do well |
here. Household and kitchen furniture /
and farming utensils very little t'gher
in price than in Tennessee. Dry goods
a little dearer in some places, suppose
because there is less competition in this
department. of trade than is generally |
Iound in Tennessee.
Fences rarely wash away here, be-
cause creeks rarely overf1 wv their
banks, and the farms are nearly all
a way from the creek bottoms on the
prairies. Wheat crops look fine here
now, and many farmers expect to COM
nence planting corn the first week in
March. My circuit embraces the north
ern portion of Collin county, and [ find
as little poor land here as in any region
have ever seen. will now close this
etter, lest l tax your patience too
much, promising to let you hear from
ne at times during the year.
Yours B. L. STONE.