The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1879-06-05
NaTasOta, Texas,
May 1st, 1879.

ASb3 AC'Os
Editor Bulletin What / say of
Texas, l think, will be taken as true
by those who. know me. 1t is agree
able, to me at least, to know that | do
not coincide with some who are doing
considerable scribbling just now in the
way of prejudicing the public mind,
and, in doing this, are dealing some
what in misrepresentation.
have seen three crops planted In
Texas and two Of them grown to ma
turity. certainly can speak advisedly
Of Texas as q farming country.
First then as to breadstutls: As q
wheat country, northern Texas is
known to be unsurpassed the world
over. AS we go south Of Waco the
country Is said to be not so good for
wheat, but when ! visited Gonzales
county, in 1877, which is far to the
southwest, l was reliably informed that
a.eltleman on the Guadalupe near the
county seat had raised that year an
average crop Of As bushels to the acre.
The same gentleman raised 120 bush
els OF oats TO the acre. Nearly every
county in Texas except those which
border on the Llano Estocado and are
subject to severe drouth is well adapted
to oats. AS corn country it is sutfi-
cicnt to say that in majority of the
counties for three winters that l have
spent in Texas, corn has been worth
from Inventive to forty cents per
bushel. 1t has been selling right here
in Navasota nearly all the writer for
twenty-five and thirty cents, but just
now it has advanced to forty and forty
five cents, owing to the dry weather
which brought fears of short crops.
This apprehension has been removed
here, as well as throughout the States,
bv timely and abundant rains. To
show you about how much water we
have on hand now, it is truth to say
that, but for the timber, the Great
Eastern would have little difficulty in
going from the Gulf of Mexico up the
Brazos, by its course, five hundred
miles. Every stream in the State is
much in the same condition. So you
see the idea of having to drive cattle
fvc miles to water is rather too thin
- spread we'll.
While on this point / may say a
word as to the much exaggerated
stories which are told concerning the
lroughts which we do sometimes have
here. They do occur, but presume
that they are not more severe than
those which occur in Tennessee. The
statistics actually show that the rain
fall is about fifty inches along the Bra
us and in most parts Of central Texas
The truth is, in the black lands Of
Texas the water has too much lime in
it to be palatable, and a great majority
Of the people are too negligent in max,
ing the necessary preparations for 8
supply of good water to use through
the Summer. Most of them have
wooden cisterns above ground aud il
many cases these are not protected
from the heat of the sun. A bounti
full supply for stock can be saved il
winter, simply by digging large pools
the water of which remains pure
through the summer. People who dc
not take the necessary precaution IL
this regard are put to some incOnven
venicnce in a dry season. Now in hun
dreds Of delightful and fertile district:
of Texas this is unnecessary, as the,
abound in limited streams supplied b.
hundreds of springs of the pures
water which gush from the hill sides
Certainly the most beautiful stream,
that my eyes ever beheld are in Texas
Who that has stood gazing ON the cleai
depth of the BraIc 5, the Palaxy, tn
Leon, the Sal1do, the San Antonio
the Blanco or the San Marcos, doe
not remember them as the loveliest &
be seen in a lifetime? I have lookeC
down into the mirrowed waters Of tn,
San Marcos where nickel can b
seen at the depth of twenty-five feet
4 word to the assertion made in tn
last issue of the Bulletin, upon the au
thority of correspondent, in regaTt
10 the relation of landowner and tenan
in Texas. In the first place why shout,
the tenant be oppressed when he cal
have a specific contract for the enforce
Inent of which we have most whole
some laws? Where is the necessity o
any mans renting very long, If h
feels oppressed by his landlord, in ;
country where he can buy land 70
$3.50 or $500 per acre from the Stat
ard have ten years to pay it in? Thes
laads belong 70 the university ans