The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-03-02
Texas.

Texas.
Mr.. Wichman, whose absence in
Texas, we mentioned short time since,
returned last week and favors us with
the following facts with regard to that
land of promise:
The part visited was the northwest
ern portion of the State. Three-fourths
of the land is good for farming pur"
poses, the other fourth is rocky hills.
The soil is what is called chocolet, a
yellow loan, very productive and easily
worked. The chief crops are wheat,
oats, barley, corn and cotton, all of
which yield as we'll here as in any
other part of the United States, except
ing, probably corn and cotton, in the
former Illinois would excel and in the
latter the more southern states. The
wild grass is very nutritious and excel
lent for grazing. Sheep and cattle
keep in good condition On it the year
round without other feeding: Wheat
and Barley are sowed in the fall and
harvested in May. Other crops are
planted or sowed in the spring.
Peaches, pears, grapes, plums and
some varieties of small fruits are pro-
/ duced abundantly and of excellent quail
ity: apples are Of poor quality. OF
the principle garden vegetables two
crops are produced each year.
The clis,ate is fine and healthy on
account of it's elevation above the Gulf,
the same being 1900 feet. The coun-
try is we'll watered with clear, rapid
streams, water can be had anywhere
by digging from Is to 40 feet.
There is an abundance Of timber iol
fuel and fencing. Inexhaustible sup
plies of coal and iron are found on and
near the surface of the ground, and OF
a fine quality. There is also copper
and nickle but in smaller quantities
Sand stone and lime stone for building
purposes are abundant, as is also fine
clay for the manufacture of brick and
crockery. 1t is a good country fol
hogs, as in fact for all kinds of live
stock, in which it is not excelled by any
other country, any where.
There is another side to all this
which, however, time will improve. II
is on the frontier, only 100 miles from
the Camanchee Indian Reservation
and subject to raids from squads
from ten down to three or four of the
copper skins, who help themselves tc
the horses of the pale face, and if q
white man is caught by any of them,
his scalp is not worth much to him
OF course, 1t being largely wild and un'
settled, many Of the conveniences OF
older countries are not to be had. The
country is subject to drouths from the
first of June to the first of September
Pine lumber for building purposes has
to be hauled from eastern Texas, but
the building Of railroads will soon dc
away with this inconve nience as it will
with many others. Venomous reptiles are
rather more numerous than deslrous,
the most common are the Tarantula,
venomous centipedes, scorpions and
snakes, not by any means very danger
Gus, however, for none Of them will at
tack person unless provoked to do so.
Comparing the advantages and disad-
yantages, Mr.. Wichman thinks that
this portion Of Texas has not it's supe-
rior in the United States. He men,
tions sheep raising as especially profta-
BILE, and shows conclusively how man
can make a neat little fortune in the
raising of cattle, horses and sheep.
In illustration of how the extreme
frontiersmen live down there, he gives
the following as good sample Of the
poorest:
He stopped one night with a Mr..
-, whose house was about 1924
feet, made Of rough logs just piled up