Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-07-29

| travel with lOaueu carriages o.
wagons over roads leading through
this class of soils. It clings to tht
wheels until they become solid be
tween the spokes, and sometime
| the mass OF mud will thicken unit
the space between the wheel and
bed is closed sufficiently to lock the
wagon. The pedestrian must some
| times stop to clean his boots Oh
come to a stand-still, owing to the
weight of the mud sticking to them,
An old resident said to me, why,
sir, its so dam sticky that 1t will
crawl up a fellows pants and knock
his hat off," Even when in the
best condition for cultivation it does
not scour plow, but sticks to the
brightest cast or steel, therefore ne
cessiting the carrying OF metal
paddle, or scraper, for use in clean
ing them every few rounds. In fall
lowing when the land is dry, it
breaks up in great clods, which,
however, becomes thoroughly slack
ed or puiverized after being wet
through, thus leaving the land in a
light, ashy condition for cultivation
so long as it remains dry. Although
the roads through these soils be-
come so bad during the wet season,
during dry times they are smooth
and hard, and equally as pleasant
for travel as the best macadamized
roads. Most generally in the wood
lands or timber, the lands are
sandy, some of which are very pro-
ductfVe and some not so. These
sandy lands aremore pleasanttO eul-
tfvate than the "waXie," and dur
ing wet seasons, especially, are
more desirable to reside upon, but
in very dry times, owing to the
sandy dust, the black wake, in my
o,.inion, would be the most agreea-
bic. OF these sandy lands, the
black, red, or yellow sandy loam
are all regarded as being very pro-
ductive for most crops, and better
adapted to some classes of Vegeta-
bles and fruits than the wake lands,
though effected somewhat quicker
by drouth.
The rich loamy soil OF the river
bottoms produce very heavy crops
of corn, cotton, millet, and some
other varieties of grass, but for
small grain the uplands or valleys
are lest. In the southern portion
of the State noticed some very fine
sugar land, which, as | was inform
ed, can be now purchased at
much lower price than they would
have brought before the war. AS
regards first-class farming lands OF
Texas, of which there are q very
large amount, / can speak few
truths that need not be doubted by
the most skeptical and that is, that
they are very rich, and with proper
seasons, and good cultivation are
exceedingly productive. And not
only this, but they are lasting, and
will for years to come continue to
furnish the industrious and manag-
ing husbandman, satisfactory yield,
with the aid of the essentials nam
ed, seasons and good cultivation.
/ was on land that had been in reg
ular cultivation for 80 years, and
yet the crops were just as fine and
as vigorous as those on land OF only
q few years cultivation. And yet
those lands had never been rested,
clovered or fertilized in any manner.
In beginning new farTn on the
prarie. land the usual plan is to
break or fallow, just SO much OF
your land as you wish to cultivate,
and leave unbroken sufficient
for pasturage and hay.
Upon the best arranged, and best
farms, L noticed that one
portion of the tract was used exclu-
aively for cultivation, another OF
prarie for pasture, and
for hay, with u fence, as a
matter of course, dividing that pOr-
tiOn that they wish to save for hay,
from that being used as pasture.
Whilst we of this State change our
pastures with the view of resting
some of our land and cultivating
others, the people of Texas make no
change of this kind, but pasture
the same land, and do
likewise Us regards cultivation. l
was told that the prairie lands, when
once broken, and cultivated would
never ogain become reset with the
original prarie grass. but if not con-
cultivated, grow up with
burrs, sun flowers and various other
grOwths. In some OF
the more thickly settled counties
where pasture lands are scarce,
Bermuda grass Is being sown for
pastures, and it is said by some per-
sons, that this grass is better tor
sheep, and will pasture more stock
per acre than the original, Natural
grasses. Within the timbered sec
tions of the State | saw many old
fashion rail fences, such as are most
ly used i'm this county, but on the
prairie lands away from timber the
usual fence is of plank or wire, the
latter of late years being most gen
orally used. Post oak, cedar and
burdock is the usual wood used for
posts, and these can be purchased
to 20 cents each in many portions OF
the State. In Coryell county a
good cedar post is cut and delivered
for and 10 cents each. Some peo-
pie imagine that timber is scarce,
and lumber very high in Texas.
This, to some extent, is a mistake,
as there is a great deal of timbered
land, growing timber sufficient for
nearly all purposes, and OF nearly
all varieties. Lumber, in many
portions OF the State, is cheaper than
it is here, whilst i'm other sections,
far out on the prarics, or away from
it is more expensive. In
portions of the State l found
some of the finest stone for building
that ever saw. Some of
4 white, and some greyiSh color.
This stone is used very extensively
for building in Austin, in San An
tOnia and some other sections OF the
State. E ."
WILL FARMING PAY IN TEXAS?
Is q question in which some may
feel an interest. With capital to start
On, and pluck, energy, and manage
nent to carry one through, it Is my
opinion that farming can be made
10 pay i'm Texas. Good land with
in the vicinity of railroads can be
fenced, broken ready for
and improved with Or
binary comfortable improvements
for prices, we will say ranging from
sS 00tO$l2 90 per acre.
Well broke Texas horses can be
purchased at from $50 to $40 each,
whilst mules and other kinds OF
stock, including farming inple-
nents, may be rated at about the
same as in this State, and farm la
Dor at about from $40 to 800 per
month with board. With imprOv-
ed farm machinery, all kinds of