Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1881-10-15
,etter from Texas.
WACO, Texas, !
Oct. Sd, 1881. I

ii o "" more highly honored in this or any
man country; and we can now with
oInnadent hope look upon great and
coii.od country, cemented by the blood
un Ino Ibonored and universally lamented
OF wv Of our country. With all the APP
hea %.nsions foreboded, there has been
rreat crash in the commercial world;
nv TTising or falling in the prices of any
~ ~ the products of the country by reason
T.%ereof. Had he died suddenly the cur
rnnt of events might have been different,
bnt the country in 4 measure was pre-
AIRED for the event and all things we're
ihaped accordingly.
NE have just emerged from long and
serious drought. Rains have fallen upon
NJ i'm the last few weeks in good quantity,
and the ground is in excellent order FOR
being prepared for sowing grain, DC. a
rood deal of oats, barley and rye have al
ready been sown for winter ana earl!
spring pasturage; and in the case OF o"'s
for early grain. Our corn crop "'e q
failure, but had a fair crop OF wheat' anu anu
IN excellent crop of oats. Corn now sens
rapidly at sl.OO; oats on CTS. "a 'i''ie
DOWN wheat 81 80, rye SOU.
me cot,on crop will be benefited to
some extent bv the recent rains, which
ON the prairie lands is not moro than hall
crop. if il will make that much, but Oh the
liver bottoms is nearly a fair average, but
tbe crop of the State will not be over 3-4
If an average. The people of our section
will make more money OH their cotton
This year than for several years preceding,
although they will not have much more
Than half as much as last year. it will
cost them from % TO so cents 4 hundred
less for picking, and they realize from $40
10 $40 per bale of 5000 lbs. more than
heretofore, the increase in price and the
indications are that it will still go higher
before the season closes.
Another item III the cotton crop OF val
ne TO the planter is the cotton seed, which
heretofore has been Il drug on their hands
and really a nuisance. Ut now brings 10
cents Il bushel and more ready sale than
any grain that comes TO MAJ ket. Fifteen
hundred pounds OF cotton picked has on
an average 50 l-3 bushels seed and makes
:, bale of 500 pounds lint cotton. The seed
therefore from one bale of cotton brings
500. The usual yield on good land is
one bale of cotton to the acre, which rents
for about SO. So the cottoh seed Will pay
the rent, which only few years ago was
4 nuisance ia the way of the gins.
There are two sources of consumption
OF The seed here now which go TO m
crease the value OF it. one Is cotton seed
oil mill, just put in operation this, season,
and the other is the feeding OF sheep.
The sheep raiScrs for 30 10 go miles west
OF US are laying in Il supply of the seed TO
feed during the winter when grass is
short. Ii is regarded n the cheapest and
best feed they can get. The oil mill makes
cotton seed meal which they sell at SO Il
ton and is regarded by stock aud dairy
men, both North and South rs the best
and chapest feed they can use. The oil
cake produced from linsecd, in making
The oil, has been largely used heretofore
~ feed, and valuable one, but the meal
from cotton seed is rapidly taking the
place OF the oil cake. The seed is first run
through hulliug machine and the bulls
all taken from the seed, which process
heats the seed thoroughly, which IL then
ground aud the oil pressed out leaving Il
firm dry meal, aud most valuable feed ior
cattle aud sheep.
owing TO the long and severe drought
there are no vegetables or potatoes III our
county, consequently our people have to
buy everything they eat, and The two
staple articles, bacon aud corn meal are so
high that living will be an expensive
thing for our people uu,il another crop is
raised, and that crop will be consumed or
the product will be due to the merchant
before harvested. 1t will always bc thus
until our farmers adopt different system
al farming. The farms of this country,
especially along the river bottoms con-
siSt OF from 500 To 1000 acres, with no di-
vidins fences of their own. or To separate
them from the adjoining farms. In some
Instances there are some i've or SIX farms
enclosed 10y one continuous outside line
of fence, and the lands divided TO each
owner by Il staple turning row or wagon
road.
On the outside of the of fences the ten
ans houses are situated, not unlike Il cross
roads village, the houses are commonly
built of boards nailed up and down, ana
called here box houses, usually with one
room and shed, and sometimes two or
three rooms with back chimney. a
house with three rooms is considered Il
Il good one, plenty of room, and plenty
good enough for Il RENTER. | remember
Il few years ago of hearing the wife of
iandholder spcakiug of Il gentleman from
one OF the older States having applied to
them for land 10 rent, but the gentleman
objected TO the house he was expected 70
accept. She remarked that great many
people came here to rent land anu eX-
pectcd as good houses TO live in as tue
iaild owners themselves. i told the lady
that she forgot, or if she did not knew II
I would inform her, that great many
persons came to Texas 10 rent land who
we're used 10 living in, and were entitled
by al that went 10 make the gentleman
aud lady, TO living in better houses than
most Of the landlOlders of Texas. She
made no further remarks. There is usu-
ally "a rail pen or something of that char
actcr TO keep the wO X stock enclosed when
hot at work, but beside that there Is no
other improvements in the way OF garden
enclosure, pig pen or chicken coop. There
is a well of water usually located 10 sup
PLY from five TO ten families, or as many
as the water supply will answer. On the
prairie things are Il little different, but
there is only one fence TO enclose the
whole tract, rarely less than 100 acre field,
aud every inch of it must be cultivated III
cotton or corn, or if the tenant can pay
the usual rent per acre, or secure IL ny
some other means TO the landlord, he VIII
be permitted to plant potatoes, oats,
wheat, &C., but they will not FISK The
chance of getting rent on such crops.
There are not fields and lots and If a ten
ant reats FARM il is simply Il field and he
must Fay according to the number OF
acres, and will be required to cultivate it
all. There is usually house to every 20
or 80 acres OF land and all being in one
enclosure, they cannot raise hogs, few
sheep and cattle aud pasture them at their
will. Thus, | say, until there is differ
ent system of farming, the planter, espe-
cially the renter will be at the mercy of
the merchant.
A freedman requested me recently to
look over his his account he had with
merchant who furnished him with his
supplies this last season, for which he
gave q mortgage on his growing crop,