The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-02-22

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from five to six miles in width. are
covered with dense and heavy
growth of white oak, red oak, water
oak. overcup oak, post oak. ash, elm.
blackberry, black walnut, pecan, cy-
press, tupelo gum, black gum, sweet
gum, md many other kinds of valua-
BILE timber. On the uplands, and
especially in the northern portions of
the county, there are also considerable
areas of forest. and the prairies, which
constitute something more than one
fourth of the area of the county, are
relieved here and there by motifs, OF
islands of timber" The amount OF
understandable pine standing in the
county in 1880. according to the
Forestry Bulletin of the United States
census bureau, was. of the long-leaf
pine (pinus Australis) Al. 100000 feet.
and of the loblolly pine (pinus teda)
ia, 100000 feet, board measure.
These large timber resources. consid-
cred in connection with the uncommon
facilities of transportation by tide
water navigation to Galveston harbor,
would seem to point to the lumber
business, and especially the getting
out OF ship timber and slaves. as q
profitable industry of the county in
the near future.
About one-half of the area may bc
properly classed as farming land of SUI
perlor quality, and presents an I'M
usual variety and combination of soils,
TWO or more distinct kinds being often
found contiguous and alternating
With each other on a limited tract.
The alluvial bottoms and second bot
toms of the Trinity river furnish the
dark. mellow, wild peach land, the
heavy "buckshot" soil, a dark or
gray loan, and, in smaller proportion,
the black, tenacious lime earth, the
peculiar qualities of each of which
are we'll known to practical farmers.
On the uplands the soils are divided
between the black waXey, the compact
mulatto, and the light. loose, sandy
land. Besides these, there are the
marsh lands composed of a black, fri.
able mold, the deposit of ages, which
only requires drainage, for which, in
many places, facilities are not want
Ing, to develop superior fetility.
The mean annual rainfall is about
forty-five inches, and the crops on the
better class of lands more frequently
suffer, owing to deficient drain |
age, from too much rather than
too little rain. There is good author
lty for the statement that there |
has not been failure of CT Ups in the |
county from drouth in twenty-five |
years. The soil and climate are es-
pecially adapted to cotton, sugar cane, |
field peas, Irish and sweet potatoes,
melons, and vegetables of all kinds, |
and in lesser degree to corn. OF the |
latter 30 bushels per acre is accounted |
an uncommonly good yield, whilst the |
best lands under proper tillage, will |
produce from 1000 to 1900 pounds of |
cotton in the seed, or 1000 pounds of |
sugar, or 300 bushels of sweet, or 100 |
bushels of Irish potatoes to the acre. |
OF the fruits, peaches, figs, plums and |
grapes are grown with success, but |
only to a limited extent. Blackber-
ries, dewberries and wild grapes of |
several kinds, are the abundant and |
unfailing products of the forests. OF |
the mustang grape, which grows with
great luxuriance, an excellent table |
wine, much resembling claret wine, is |
made in many households.
Unimproved farming lands are held |
at from 80 to So per acre; improved |
tracts, with the necessary buildings,
etc, at from S. to So, according to |
quality, location, and the proportion
of enclosed land; and farms with
houses for tenants, are rented at from
$3.50 to $4 an acre, or more generally |
for share of the crops. With eV-
erything furnished to the tenant ex-
cept family supplies. he pays one-half |
the crop. Common rail fencing costs |
from 800 to $3.50 a mile. Work
horses are worth $45; mules, $50; and
oxen, $50 yoke. Corn sells for 70 |
cents to 81 per bushel; and flour for
from 81 to $40 per barrel.
Stockraising is an important, and |
perhaps at present, in proportion to
the capital invested, the most profita-
bic pursuit. The stock in the county,
as assessed in 1881, number as fol- |
lows: 1855 horses and mules, "a, 482
cattle, 6723 hogs, 972 sheep, and 102 |
goats. All kinds of stock keep fat |
on the open range of the prairies from
May to December inclusive, and sub
sist moderately well for the remaining
four months of the year. On the
wide bottoms of the Trinity river
there is an abundance of switch cane
and swamp grass, and on the narrow
margins of many of the other streams,
of swamp grass, which furnishes ex-
cellent winter pasturage. Hogs are
raised, and in most seasons fattened
for pork, on the mast and grasses of
the forest, All kinds of meat are
cheap in the local markets. Wild
turkeys, wild geese, brant, ducks,
prairie chickens, quail, and squirrels
are found in large numbers, and
bear and deer often reward the search
of the keen sportsman. Sandhill
cranes, whose flesh is esteemed a
greater delicacy than that of any
other fowl except the peafowl, make
the appearance in large fiocks during
the fall and winter. Fresh water fish
of the common kinds are numerous
in the rivers, bayous and lakes.
The Texas and New Orleans rail
way passes through the county nearly
east and west, and has four stations,
Liberty, Ames, Dayton and Devers.
The Houston, East and West Texas
railway passes through the northwest
corner for distance of ten miles, and
has two stations, Cleveland and At
RIGA. Liberty, the only town in the
county, has a population of about $50,
and an annual trade of about $4,000.
For scholastic population of 81
in the county, there are SO public free
schools of primary grade organized,
and taught four months of the year,
with an average attendance of Is per
cent of the 700 children enrolled. All
the religious denominations are more
or less largely represented in the
county; the Methodist, Roman Catho-
lie, and Baptist, ranking in numbers
in the order named, having church Or
CARNATIONS and church buildings. The
people are, as rule, peaceable and
law-abiding, and the better sentiment
of the community is conservative Of
law and order The county has an
outstanding floating debt, and levies
an ad valorem tax of fifty-five cents
on the one hundred dollars. In the
upland portions of the county the
general health is good; on and near
the river and bayou bottoms, chills
and fever of mild type, and easily
controlled, are more or less prevalent
in eou1a QpaSons The clifnafa ia anna. !