The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-06-09
From Texas.

! ROBINsONVILLE, Texas, May 81 1917
The cultivation of the Texas black land
differs widely from that of any other state
The soil, as we have before said is very sticky
. and tough, requiring the best implements
manufactured to work it; and with all the
modern improvements on plows, not one
has been introduced that will shed the dirt IN
cultivation. And il seems rather odd to men
from other states to see plowmen carrying
scrapers to clean off their plows after every
furrow. So this stiff nature prevents general
use of farm machinery; even machines for
cutting grain are clogged up from running
after a small ram, when harvesting has TO be
done with scythes and cradles Cultivating
has to be done early in the season, before the
drouth commences The corn crop is usual.
| ly done with IN May, and the cotton
crop a month Or two later. Owing to the eX-
IRENE wet seasons, and the tenacious ma
ture Of the soil, extensive small grain crops
are uncertain. The long drouths to which
the,country is subjected have the effect on
land Of freezing in the north, tending to
pulverse the soil The ground often opens
in assures ten or twelve feet deep which is
doubtless the cause of so many hog .wOlows
or depressions on the surface, for these great
cracks tumble in after "a thorough wettlng,
leaving a depression, Any one travelling
over such sections soon learns to shun the
holes, and is worried with the unpleasant
roads
Land ranges in price from 81 TO $50 per
acre, owing TO quality and location. lmprov.
cd lands are always high, owing to the heavy
cost OF fencing and building material. Rich
prairie valley land can be had for s., on a
very liberal credit. River lands are much
hlgher-$10 to $50 per acre, as they are of
the most productive quality Of any, and are
much the best TO endure the long droughts.
There IS large amount Of school and uni.
ycrsity land located in different places
throughout the state which is now on the
market, and at reasonable terms, giving thei
purchaser ten years to pay forhls land. Now
if an immigrant fails to secure home, with
ten years pay for it, he will have no one 10
blame but himself The revenue realized
from sales Of these lands is to constitute a
schoo! fund for the supportand maintenance
of free system of education, and there was
land enough set apart for this purpose by the
state, but it has been mismanaged in some
way; and we can only look with regret upon
the present system of public free schools.
But we are wandering a little as lana was TO
be the main feature Of this communication.
Already there has been considerable land lit
igation, and there is room for much more as
the soil advances in value. Unlike many
other states, Texas owns her public domain,
and it was under Mexican government that
many large grants Of land were issued. So
now We find these old Spanish claims con-
nicting with titles OF more recent date in
many instances Even the title to a whole |
town is sometimes tested by these dormant
claimants: but such cases are of rare occur
renee. You must not be led to believe from
what say, that all lands have poor titles, for
such Is not the case. Unlike many other
states, this one failed to be section.
lied, which should have been done al
the proper time. And well did Sam Houston
see the error of congress when he urged up
on them the necessity of sectlonizing their |
republic. Yes, while he gazed down the
long vista OF future events OF the government
he had fought so hard to establish, he saw in |
miniature the many evils resulting from the
neglect of such duty And now NC cannot
ri public road in any direction without in.
terfering with some person. tract, for the or.
ignal surveys were all made in leagues or
grants which usually front on the river run.
ning back for quantity. These immense
blocks of land have TO be cut up to suit pur-
chaserS rs no man would hardly wish TO buy
four or five thousand acres, which constitute
a league of land. And 50 it is in dividing,
lines are run to suit the purchasers In my
next vii! give view OF Texas as stock
country. LITTLE TEXAN.