San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-09-22
The Empire State.
W. a. Veal. in Dallas Herald.
AREA.

tains 274, 1856 square miles, or 10000,
$40 acres, has 236 laid uf counties, ana
territory sufficient to form one hundred
additional counties, without violating
the constitution, which fixes the mini
mum of county at thirty square miles.
This great territory is much larger
than France or the Austrian or German
empires. II is more extended than the
United Kingdom Of England, Scotland
Ireland, Wales, larger than Greece
Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium. the
Netherlands, Portugal, and all the Now
England states combined. 1t is greater
in area than Maine, New Hampshire,
Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
Massachusetts, Maryland, New YORK.
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware
Illinois and Ohio. Ho5t
PRODUCTS.
Three.fourths of this vast territory Is
susceptible of high state OF cultiva,
ton, aud produces greater variety OF
crops than any country known to civil
ization. It's chief products are cotton
corn, wheat. rye, barley, oats and grass
es OF every description, with sugar.
hemp, ute, fax, the castor bean, every
species and kind of vegetables, and the
various classes of fruits known to north
ern ATTITUDES, semi tropical and tropical,
as auxiliaries. All these grow here In
the greatest profusion and perfection.
COTTON.
We produced last year twelve hum
dred thousand bales of cotton, or near
ly one.fifth of the total crop OF the
south, worth, at $50 per bale, $6O,ooO,-
600. Its staple is ranked in the cotton
exchanges of Europe as the finest In
the world, and always commands a
higher price than that raised in the
south atlantic states, or India. Inc
day is not distant when but a small por-
ton of the raw material will be ex-
ported, cotton goods and cotton yarns
being shipped instead, and that the
revenue OF Texas will be increased from
this source tenfold. It will be difficult,
however, for manufacturing to ever
reach the capacity of Texas for the
production OF cotton, for were only
one.sixth of our cotton lands in cpltlva'
ton they would produce more than
double as much as is now grown through
out the world.
The yield is from half to one and
half bales per acre, and without the use
of fertilizers, not one ton OF which mas
ever been used in field in the state to
aid cotton OF any other crop.
SMALL GRAIN.
That portion of Texas suitable for
the growth Of wheat, oats and other
small Sgrain, covering 100000 sqxare
miles, is larger than the great states OF
Missouri, Illinois and Ohio combined,
and produces much greater yield per
acre than either. Were all these lands
cultivated in wheat, the gross product
would be more than four times as much
as was raised in the United States last
wear. Our average yield is eighteen
bushels per acre, but thirty-fve to fifty
have often been gathered.
Oats yield from 40 to 12O bushels per
acre; barley, rs to 70 bushels; rye, 2Oto
so; and corn produces from 20 to 5O
bushels per acre.
Texas has one million acres OF land
upon which the best sugar-cane natures
which will yield two hogsheads OF sugar
and four barrels of molasses per acre
If one-half we're cultivated and thai
half made only half crop, the result
would be more sugar and syrup thar
are now consumed in the United States
The four counties of Fort Bend, Bra
zoria, Wharton and Matagorda produced
in 1879, 1864 hogsheads of sugar ant
ll2,224 barrels Of molasses, valued a
$433, 900. The sugar growing countr!
extends along the coast south OF tn
latitude of New Orleans, yet the heat Ii
not oppressive, as it is constantly fan
ned BY the gulf breezes which SWEEP
over it, rendering the climate pleasan
and healthful, and almost free from ma
laria.
STOCK RAISING.
As pastoral countryit is without
rival on this or any other continent
Horses, cattle, sheep and other stock arr
raised without trouble and next to nj
expence, subsisting and thriving, a
they do the year round, upon nativ'
grasses. -.
The finest beef in the world is takel
fat from the mesquite grass on the prai
ries of Texas. Refrigerator ship load
ed at Atlantic as well as at gulf ports
with beef for consumption in European
markets. The time is not distant whel
the markets in our northern states viii
be supplied from our prairies in refrig
orator cars with fresh, fat and juic.
beef. Our total exports Of beef nov
aggregate more than 100000 head an
nually, of the cash value of S25,0OO, OO(
and as our facilities for raising cattl
are almost unlimited, the number vii
be doubled and quadrupled in fey
years.
Horse raising is considered by som