The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-02-17
Letter From Houston Co., Texas.
Crockett Texas January eth, lss

request undertake to give you u
few facts in reply to yours Of the II,
inst, as compared with your state,
as well, might say any other state
or country on the face OF the globe,
Texas. has advantages that might
well awaken the interest Of any man
OF any occupation whatever. Our
summers are long, occasionally dry
sometimes very tedious but there
is seldom II night which is not COM
Portable. In our section tho prox-
unity to the gulf gives lis ut night
that delightful refreshing gulf breeze
which insurcs n rcstful slumber re-
invigoratingi us for the labors.of the
coming day.
Our winters arc generally very
mild and open, indeed not always in
sufing us continued cold sufficient,
to free from uncertainty the success
ful curing OF large sized hogs.
or course we share the compare
lively very cold winter with the rest
Of the world, the mercury has come
down as low us So above zero once
this winter. do not think that Italy
can boast u fairer climate than ours.
/ come from S. +. Alabama, to
this country nine years ago have
never had chill or attack Of mala
rial fever since / have been In the
country. / have seen nearly every
country inhabited by civilized people
on the face Of the globe. and pro-
nonnce without hesitation Texas to
he the best section Of the best nation.
I would say further that while / own
and control perhaps 10000 acres Of
land in different parts OF the state
and have visited them all with the
view OF settling where should he
best pleased, I consider Houston
county as having Il prepondcrance
Of advantages. There is here for
man and beast, what Is called accli-
mating fever, caused / think by
change Of diet and habits due to lack
Of care in the subject. ManyeSperi
ence no difficulty in the world and
the malaria while in abundance upon
the lowlands along the streams does
not compare in virulcnce to your
low swampy country in your own
state. Houston is not a grazing county
bus my Jerseys are to DAY running
upon green pasture. Of rye, and
there is not day i'm the year
that the same provision cannot he
made. We have only one grass that
his been thoroughly tested as to sod
that is Bermuda. IT stands best our
protracted dry summers. 1t has not
Its superior as grazing grass any
where, yielding rs much and fully rs
good grazing, Us the far famed KY,
blue grass. All during the winter We
have pasture Of oats, rye, barley &C.,
taking the stock of the latter part
OF February. aud harvesting the crop
in May and June. We have many
hay crops giving us the best OF
forage with little labor and expense.
German Millet makes two crops a
year yielding us much, rs eight tons
in the two crops. The Johnson grass
Sorghum Helasscnsel lisa perenni-
al yielding with good season three
cuttings OF ~ high as four tons per
cutting in the year. Pearl Millet
yield without limit giving during the
summer Il cutting every six weeks.
Herds grass, Orchard'grass, Meadow
grass, and Dat grass think will do
well, hut have not tried them sur
ticiently to speak positively; the
others speak from the card. There
is one man in Texas a pioneer i'm the
business who has 16O tons OF John
son grass hay, with market at s25.-
% per ton. Our water is good and
cool when fresh from the wells and
springs, no one uses ice regularly
here and my wife with ice in the
house prefers the water fresh from
the well. do not use water or ice
in dairying. / have utilized an old
cistcrn putting in a spiral staircase
and shelves. would not give it for
all the spring houses in the state as
l am not troubled with water frccz-
ing Sc, but have u uniform temper
allure winter and summer and MAX
ing a butter that is truly ..Gilt Edge
ut all seasons. There would be sale
for very little milk, but have engag-
ed my surplus butter ut 75 cents per
pound the year round aud Transport
tation charges paid. We have no
loQclS III SuiliNatAii$S Jul SOuS Va sSlly
description. We are now having
sulkey plows, walking and riding
cultivators introduced in the country
and they work 10 a charm. Corn is
often planted in February, the cult
walton is over by the middle OF June,
a man can grow successfully. corn,
cotton, Sorghum Of various kinds.l
Louisiana Ribbon cane. Peanuts,
Field peas, Sweet and Irish potatoes,
Millets Of various kinds and every
variety u fruits, Tobacco Sc. l have
Il acres in u Peach orchard some
ripening us early as 10th, of May,
Vineyards, Pears, Strawberries, Rasp-
berries. Plums &c. Come down and
see for your self. We want 5000 like
you whether tRepuhliean on Demo
craU in our county. Respectfully
yours &c.
c. i. DOUGLAS.