Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1874-01-29

that to a certain extent
make some of the divisions natural.
Texas is devoted to stock
raising, principally. Here is the great
sheep region of Texas; sheep are herd
ed by day and ''corralled" or "penne,l"
Dy night. The sheep herder has pri:m-
tive appearance that is decidedly re-
freshing in this age OF progress; he
walks with his flock Heading them in
pleasant pastures aud by stih waters"
through the day; his only scepter a
shepherds crook, such Is were in use
three Thousand years ago. At night he
c0Frails his 1ock and sleeps III the en-
closure. The fiocss ar, taken far oat
from the haunts OF civilized man, but
the unciviiIzed "Lo'i has lately turned
his attention tn Inc Mexican herders
and ornaments his belt with their
raven ringlets."
Cattle herding * principally in
Western Texts, as-yunI the reach of
certain Statutory laws Ihs: are based
upon the DectlDSGc. F1s Yeas /. sys-
tenatic robbery his diSgrare,i tine cat
tie interests ot TX y, and contributed
to drive all honest men into other ave.
cations; for, tu live honestly and to
herd cattle is one of t!i;. !unpos,ibillties
that sooner or later would cOnvinc,. the
most skeptical. Some small hertier
owning few hundred oi the long
horned spanish" would start for Kan
sas, marking and branding everything
in the shape of cattle, until the small
nucleus would aggregate some thou
sands. The State has placed an In
spector on Red River at the principal
crossings, who for a consideration"
pronounces his official ''all right" The
herders are called Cowboys" here,
and hail from every cline. AS a rule,
they are brave, generous class, whose
horsemanship would incite the envy OF
even "Commanche."
The eastern portion of the State is
famed for its excellent timber. Ali
varieties found in more northern lati-
tude abound here, except the VI Thite
pine. The yellow pine is Superior
timber for every purpose; being dura-
| BILE, compact and free from brittleneSS.
The Bois d. Arc is the same as the
Usage Orange of more northern lati-
tude, is the ''ne Plus ultra" of all TIM
ber. A piece of decayed Bois d. Arc is
not in the memory OF the oldest inhab-
liant; no shrinking, flexible, durable
compact, it has no superior for manu-
featuring purposes, Railroad ties, fence
posts or any other use to which the
material coiid be applied. All the Rail.
roads of the State have BoiS d. Arc ties
and prefer them 10 any other. Post
Oak generally pre,iominates; it is g
species of White Oak, very similar tC
III IL. - n,i- Nc.
CENTRAL TEXAs
is the great grain ana cotton producing
region of the State. All the cereal,
grow finely here, but cotton is the
great staple. One bale 600 lbs O
lint cotton or !, 800 lbs. of seed cotton
is about the average per acre. On the
BraZos River bottoms, two bales pei
acre is frequently gathered. In all the
cotton districts much is waSted-left or
the ground. A bale of cotton is worth
from $50 to $z5-enabling the renter Il
purchase the land and pay all the eX
Ipenses of cultivation.
NORTHERN TEXAS
Is the great fruit region of the State
Along Red River much cotton is raised
and on the lands adjacent there are con
siderable grain farms. The climate j:
more adapted to northern immigrants
and good health generally prevails
Wheat is grown extensively in tht
northern AID central portions Of the
State. The "wheat region" embracei
about thirty counties, of which Dalla:
is the cente. The average yield Ii
labout Twenty-Five buohei per acre
Corn yiej Is about fifty buShcl per acre
Oats about forty-five bushel.
The tame grasses are not yet intro
duced to any great extent; the wfie
grasses of the prairieS are SO nutritiou'
taht there has been but few expert
ments in reference to their Introduction
SOIL.
There are five qualities of soil in va
riOus portions of the State. a. Blacl
sandy is found throughout various
portions Of northern Texas. adjacen
to timber. (2) White sandy is fount
in the cross-tinber country, (where twt
belts of timher cross the State i'll th'
western part.l This suil is; general!
poor, and similar to the white Sani
portionS'of the other States. (3.) Ret
SANDY abounds in the BraZOs and Rex
River bottoms; is the richest soil i'll ti'
State The red sand is adapted to tn
cereals and cotton. a. The ''mulatto'
clay soil that is subject to "hake," is
lspecie5 of cement that at certain time
,, becomes OF the consistency of cOnglom
crate rock. 90 The ''black waxy'
soil is of peculiar consistency; bein!
, almost entirely free from sand ant
strongly impregnated with lime ant
magneSia. In fact the soil is the pul
verized product of the magnesium lime
, stone that underlie all this quality o
+ soil. 1t is Very productive and of i'm
mense depth; does not ''scour" il
blowing, and when wet is about a
'.waxy" us wax could possibly get. 4
pedestrian can carry small farm>0 OF
his boots, yet that pedestrian woul'
not be happy.
CLIMATE.
The climate is mild and genial; nc
oppressively hot during the summer
or cold during the winter. This ha
7 been remarkable winter, thus fal
. had no snow until the eve of the 18th
, weather balmy and pleasant as spring
time, with an occasional "norther" t
q invigorate and rejuvinate the entir
' physical man. Last summer was cor
|. sidered very warm, yet the night
o we're always cool and pleasant, givin
, refreshing sleep. A Gulf breeze
j from the southeast temperS the he;
! and dissipates the cold, thereby prC
ducing an equable temperature. 5.
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e VOJTE PTOV IVEIfS