The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-07-20
NnOP IiEpnNr.

CHOP HEPOiT.
Tho Crop Of Dnllns County nnd the Unfor-
tdnutc Edccts of Exaggerated Accounts
Of ~.
To the Editor Of the Herald.
ltisani1c thug TO- give glowing descriP-
tions of crops and country, and you and
other newspaper men like to publish such;
but If the truth were ill told and only the
truth, II would be good enough-glory
enough. But the exaggerated accounts pub
lished in your paper and others are too
prejudicia 10 the interests OF the farmers
to let pass without notice. suppose those
eXaEgerated accounts are mainly gotten up
by SPECTATORS with the view of cheapening
produce. Whether intended so or not they
have that effect. To make display at the
expense OF the people is folly of this age
and of this government and with this is,
generally coupled some mercenary motive.
And, of course, if the crop is excessive the
prices must be low and whether it is or
not, if that impression is made, 1t must
produce the same result. While upon the
! other hand, if the crop is short prices must
be better.
Now the wheat and oat crops are by no
means large, and | beg to show you ana
your readers that they are not, and that
| the farmers of the county have been greatly
injured by those exaggerated reports.
| The wheat crop was seriously injured by
the rains of January and February bring.
| ing on the rust, red rust, which under very
! favorable circumstances it may outgrow.
But by the same rains, which continued
| for nearly two months, the soil was settled
and run together so as to form a hard
crust when it dried, A dry spell ensued
the crust baked and the crop paled, sick
ened and spindled, clearly indicative Of
ruin. The farmers despaired of the crop
and began to pillow it up. Much was plowed
up and much more would have been hut for
want of time and force. And at this very
time of serious doubt as to whether or not
anything would be realized from the crop,
it was reported to the papers and talked all
over the city of Dallas .as the greatest
prospect for wheat crop that was ever
known in this county, and such reports
and such talk was kept up until the crop
Aud what are the facts? About
one-third of the whole crop which
was sown in wheat is called "Mediterra-
mean" wheat, the remainder, in Texas
red May" 1t was dry a few days over Il
MONTH the ground ali that time in such
condition as would perish any crop. But
finally the rain came, and the Mediter-
ranean wheat improved and turned out
pretty well, the red May exceedingly poor.
Tire crops Of Mediterranean differed widely
from five to twenty-five bushels. Some
claim still higher, but the average will
scarcely exceed fifteen bushels, while the
red May will not average five. This is from
the best information / can get, and pre-
sumo is very nearly correct | gives us
between, d third and half crop while the
farmers have been and are sell ,ng at prices
rGduced by the impression that mere is an
Overwhelming crop, if l may b. allowed to
use that word. The oat crop Is bout the
same, and came so,this wise: About one
third of the crop was sown last fall, and
turned out very good the remainder was
sown in the spring, and turned out poorly,
If it had all turned out as well as the fall
sown, there would have been fully
three times as much made. There
was some corn planted early, posi-
bly, one-third of the crop, land some
oft stood. AT least half oft was planted
over, much of it two or three times, until
half or two-thirds of it became to be very
late, and this, with the original late plant
ing, made the crop, with the exception of
little of the earliest planting, the latest
planted crop that has been known in this
county. II was the poorest prospect-the
most uneven, the raggedest looking crop |
ever saw, and but for the recent rains the
crop would have been no better than last
year, But this rain came in the nick OF
time and in the finest possible proportions.
If it had remained away ten days more, all
would have been gone. But | am most
happy in being able to say there has seldom,
If ever been finer prospect for corn and
cotton than the present. The cotton made
bad start, like all the rest, but it now
comes up to August, its trial month, in the
most flourishing condition.
There are but few regrets in all this and
much to rejoice at. The farmer should
have a fair and just consideration for his
toll and care; he should subscribe for the
papers and read more-keep himself posted
In business matters. 1t is unfortunate
that few persons should predicate opin-
ions or estimates Of the crop of a whole !
county on mere passing notice of fine
crop.
II isa happy reflection that the shortDess
of a single crop or even several crops may |
pass almost wholly unnoticed in the abund-
ance that half, third or fourth of crop
affords us. Texas is truly land of fat |
ness, and her people never whine.
j. NJ. c.,