The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-11-18
TEXAS NOTES.
western Texas as an Agricultural Re-
giOn-The Dry Seas0n-ErrigatIon.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Nov, II, 1877.
Editor Democrut-On the 9Th inst. there was
A COLD NoRrHER
that las ted more than twenty four hours This
put an end to our heated term, and has been
followed by several frosts, and even ice The
peach blossoms. the untimely appearance OF
which mentioned in my last are blighted, and
the earth is putting on its winter garb. / no.
tieed, In recent account of Texas written by a
Northern man, that our northers were de-
seribed as lasting three or four hours. He must
have seen them only in their infancy. NY ae-
quaintance is with the mature article. which
blows with Icy breath from twenty.fou to thir-
ty-six hours. During their prevalence wraps
are In demand, and the LATEST man steps out at
q pace rivalling Weston. l have been reading
of late some miscellaneous accounts of
WESTERN TEXAS AS AN AGRICULTURAL REGION.
These accounts come mostly from immigra-
ton and railroad agents. and are 50 over
wrought and highly eoiored as to excite among
our people. who have no axes to grind. mingled
mirth and indignation. One would infer from
spring and that yerdure clothed the earth the
whole year round. Such false accounts may in
ducee many to come here seeking home, who,
finding things SO different. return Disguised
and indignant It is fraud practieed upon the
country, and is calculates to injure rather than
to benefit Texas. To gid in ventilating these
partial account. of Western Texas as an
agricultural region. Il is the result of three
Z no couy n the World eersn hts
portion of fertile soil. and 1t appears to be
almost inexhaustibe. Oats and barley yield
ture before the extreme dry season generally
commences. Corn. on the contrary almost In
vatiably encounters protraeted drouth. The
full culture, sometimes produces wonderful re-
suits. Still.
THE CORN CROP
Is. at the best, uncertain. The yield of cotton
isiana. Millet and Hungarian grass yield one
good crop: but the drouth generally prevents
a second cutting. But the worst effect of all this
want OF summer and spring rains is that we
have, none but winter and spring vegetables.
The hot. dry summers burn up all before them.
It Is to remedy, this that irrigating bitches are
being resorteu to, and with
IRRIGATION
everything will grow that can be grown in
other southern States and the yield is astonsh-
ing. The difficulty is that to make rrigatng
bitches costs, and it is only land favorably sit
uated that can be irrigated. There is another
fallacy that should be corrected and that is that
the grasses here never fail. and that stock re-
quires no care or feeding all the year round. 1t
little. But although they, generally, manage TO
pass through the winter, only the old or feeble
winter the loss of stock was immense. II IL
true. 1t was mainly attributable to the grass
hopper scourge. but 1t Is none the less certain
that It would pay to provide food and shelter,
sv n here, for both horses and CATTLE and sheep
not excepted. The great advantage. Western
Texas does possess are the much smaller
amount Of winter feed requisite to be provided
For stock; the comparative mildness and
shortness Of the. winter: the delightful
oreezes and cool nights of summer
md the ,unexampled healthfulness of the eli
mate. These with lands in many localities
very cheap, offer sufficient inducements to i'm
without resorting to Pigments worthy
ia htt,,r 7 H.
here, and that is the great profusion Of
CHOICE PLANTS AND FLOWERS
hat renders dear old Louisiana the garden spot
II the earth. San Antonio however with her
rrigating bitches. has these. It is of the sur
'ounding country Of. which l speak where the
all paintings flourish until the summer drouth
md then perish from the face OF the earth a
ew of the harder plants alone surviving. The
purity of the atmosphere the salubrity of the
climate. the delightful summer breezes apart
rom its great advantages for stock raising.
ender Western Texas a most de irable resi-
lence, and will attract q large immigration.
l.. r. D.