The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-09-01

tie oil into the counties named and opencd
up new ranches by buying lands and leasing
school and public land. In all these coun-
ties name are also found horse and sheen
ranches, but the horse interest is confined
to Western Texas almost entirely,
tlidalgn, Webb, Xapata, Duyal, Encinal
Dimmit, Kinney, Bee, Live Oak, San Pa
tricio, Zavalla, McMullen, Atascosa, Me-
dina, Bandcra, Tom Green, Kerr, Kendall.
Gillespie, San Saba, Burnct. Blanco, Ma
son, CoAcho, Kemble, Hamilton, BoSque,
brown, Lampasas, Edwards, COmal
karnes, Goliad, Arkansas, Rcfugio, Starr,
La Sale, Crockett, PecoS, rreSidio and De-
Witt counties are considered superior, and
contain the bulk of the sheep of the state.
SHEEP,
The fact that the wool crop of this wear is
estimated at between l5,0OO0O0 and 10000,
wv pounds, worth to the producer an aver
age OF - cents on the pound, is u. evidence
that sheep growing pays in Texas. The
WOOL grower is at no expense save the en-
ploy of few herders for his hocks, and at
shearing time. He has no food to pro-
vide, for nature furnishes this to his
hand on tie prairics around about his folds.
He turns out his hocks in the morning, and
all day long they eat Of their fill ON the
),
Knowing no care that the shepherds and
their intelligent dogs do not give them At
night they are folded Oftentimes right
where night finds them, the shepherds talk
ing portable folds of canvass with them,
which, with the dogs, are sufficient safe
guards against the wolves OF horses, not
much is to be said, further than that there
are vast droves of them to be found in va
rious counties, but principally in those along
the lower Rio Grande and the coast in
southwest Texas, A few gentlemen have,
OF late years, been turning their attention
to thoroughbrcds,
HORSES,
among whom we may mention Major
James Il. Barley, of Dallas coHn-
ty,, the Messrs. Bachelor, and Frank
Lilly, of Dallas, Mr.. Tuck Hill,
of Collin, Hon. Marion Martin, of Navarro,
Judge Gustaye Cook, of Harris, who has a
thoroughbred stock-farm in Hayes county.
the Messrs. Weisiger, of Victoria county,
the MeSsrs. Phillips, of Travis county, and
last, but by no means least, DIR. George
Ferris, the noblest Roman of them all, when
it comes to the thoroughbred horse. No
mention Of the thoroughbred horse in Texas
would be complete without mention of DR.
Ferris. As breeder of these horses, and as
writer upon the subject he is au tait, and
his papers for the press of this state, under
the nom de plume of Eques, and for other
papers have given him name and a fame
that is dear to the lover of the horse every
where. What the gentlemen we have
named have done toward the improvement
of horses in Texas will do much for the
future and has already done much, for on
many 4 turf outside the state contending
with the cracks from other states the
colors of Texas horses have shown to the
front and the names of Jack Hardy, of
Rebel, of Iucommode, of l.. Argentine, of
Ella Rowcll, IF Bell BarCley, of General
Phillips of sam Harper, of Ella Harper, of
Wild Moor and Of Pilgrimage have become
known to turf annals. 1t is not in
appropriate here to state that every year
there is an improvement going on in all
classes of stock in the state and our sheep
have already become Of high grade, pro-
in the eastern markets. Our
stock men are gradually working
off their long horns and raising grade cattle
in their stead, by crossing with the Durham
and Devon, so that in few years, at most,
the vast herds that Texas now knows, will
have given place to smaller ones of grade
and thoroughbred cattle, worth more money
and requiring a decreased acreage of pasture
lands, that agriculture may rear its affairs
where now only the long horn cow and
beef steer roam. Under the head of stock,
we must not omit
HOGS
Ii is q lamentable fact that we can not say
much here. In every community there
are hogs, but not many, and but few of
these are only of the ordinary breeds.
Some of the.better grades, such as White
Chesters, PoIands, Berkshire, Essex, etc.,
are to be found everywhere
but the rule is that these are
raised more to tickle the fancy of the owner
than as matter profit. Every farmer at
tempts to raise his own meat, yet he seems
to have no idea of surplus, and there are
entirely too many who do not have enough
for home consumption. The result is that
an immense amount pork bacon is imported
yearly into the state. This, however, is not
the fault of the state. In eastern Texas es-
pecally, and indeed, in every county of
the state, hogs can be raised partly on the
mast and partly by corn feeding This will
be done generally after awhile, and any farm
er at small cost can raise all the hog meat
he needs with an abundance for market at
a good paying price.
POULTRY.
There is an abundance of various kind.
and preachers need have no fear on thsscore
of late years, has been attracting deal of
attention. There is no state in the union
where bees can be more successfully raised.
The climate is propitious, the mild winters
obviating all fear from frosts and freezes,
and the flowers of every hue,o our prairies,
with the orchard blossoms, furnish an mex
haustiblc supply of honey sweets. In some
portiOnS of the stntC-nOtably in north and
southwest Texas--there are numerous apia-,
ries where honey is raised for market, and
it is not surpassed in excellence by the
famed honey of California. Indeed, the
bees of Hymettus never had swecter pas
turagc on the classic heights of their own
mountains than the bees of Texas lind III
our valleys, on our hillsides and our plains.
Thus it will be seen that Texas is in the
fnll possession of every comfort, conven'
fence and luxury that the farming interest
needs or can suggest. But in the midst OF
all this abundance of natural capacities and
offerings let IL not be supposed that people
come here and find things grown or grow,
ing ready made to hand We have outlined
faithful picture as to it, but II needs fill
ing up by the energetic hand of honest in
dustry. Without that want will lie at the
door here as elsewhere, with 1t no one can
help not only securing competency but Sc
curing a surplus against the rainy day or
the approach of lifes declining years.