Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-08-27


red loan praries and timbered lands.
On the prairies and in the valleys, the
lands are of a red loan character more
or less sandy and quite deep. Inc
valleys are covered with rich and pro-
ductive soils from the red-clay hills.
An analysis of this red loan SOIL
shows the presence of considerable
amount Of potash, a fair per centage
of lime and magnesia and q low per
/ centage Of phosphoric acid.
There are several varieties OF this
red land, viz: dark, light ana
| red loans. There Is also
dark, or red and still
''hog wallow;n and in the timbered
lands, to be mentioned later in this re-
port, are heavy sand beds. The dark
loan, mostly on the south side of the
'mouutain,n comprises about one
third of the county, and Is heavy, fire.
auently putty-like in texture. and Is
from three to five feet deep. The sub
soil Is a.redish clay sometimes lighter,
and mixed with pebbles, and Is under
laid by sand and gravel. About twen-
ty to twenty-five feet below the sur
| face is red clay formation.
The red loan soil, chiefly on the
north side. comprises about one
fourth of the county, and is chiefly
confined ID the creeks tributary to the
Brazos river. Its heavy, often still,
ranging In color from mahogany to
orange red, and Is from five to seven feet
deep. The sub-soil varies, sometimes
being red clay and sometimes
sand and gravel, containing some
pebbles and is underlaid by sand and
gravel, and in places by rock at from
fifteen to twenty feet. The red stiff
"hog wall0wo land on the south side
mainly occurs in bodies, the largest
being about two miles across, and is
I from two to six feet deep. The SUBJ
sol. is generally pure clay, but has
/ gravel in places, and is underlaid by
sandstone AT various depths. This is
considered the richest soil in the
county, but is the most difficult of cul-
tivatiOn. 1t is late and cold, but is
well drained. All the soil in the
county is productive, except the
"mountains." and excellent yields Of
/ the cereals are secured where there is
even possibly fair cultivation.
! THE WATER SUPPLY AND SPRINGS.
The streams on the south side
of the dividing ridge are all trib-
utaries TO the Colorado river. Ofthese
Jim Ned, Valley, Spring and Bluff
creeks are the principal. None of
them are large but most of them how
the greater part of the year and all
/ hold water In pools. even i'm the digest
seasons, sufficient for stock purposes.
Jim Ned creek rises about the GEN.
/ ter of the county south of the noun
tains and runs southeast into Coleman
county.
Bluff creek rises about twenty-six
miles southwest of Abilene, runs Ia n
southerly direction aud passes into
Runnels county. 1t is TED by numer-
! Ous springs and its waters run the year
| round.
Spring creek rises about four miles
west of the head of Bluff creek, runs
southwest and empties into Valley
creek.
Valley creek rises in the southwest
corner of the county, runs in
q soutberly direction and passes
into RunBels county where it empties
into the Colorado river. This is said
to Ice the best stream in Taylor county.
! It's waters run all the time and il has a
great many large and deep holes which
hold All abundance of water. Cotton
which rises about two miles west of the
head OF Spring creek, runs southwest
and empties into Valley creek This
stream also runs all the time. All of
these streams are fed by numerous
springs, none of them very bold but
living" and the valleys are wide,
level and rich and are fringed by low,
gravely hills.
Tho of al.
all tributaries to the Brazos river, the
principal being Elm Fork, Cedar,
Ralnev and Willow creeks.
Elm Fork of the Brazos river heads
near the center of the west line of the
county, runs in an easterly direction,
through n canyon in the "mountaiust
near Buffalo Gap, thence in norther-
~ direction to the north boundary
line OF the county, passing into Jones
county.
Rainey creek rises near Lyle Gap,
about ten miles southeast of Abilene,
runs in a northwesterly course,
and with Buck, Lytle and
Little Cedar creeks form Cedar creek
proper, the functions being near Abb
lene.
Buck, Lyle and Little Cedar all
head south and southeast of Abilene.
Cedar Creek the main stream of
that name empties into Elm Fork
about four miles north of Abilene.
Mulberry creek is a tributary
of the Clear Fork of the
Brazos. 1t heads in Mulberry can
yon, in the northwestern part of the
county, about twenty-five miles west
of Abilene, runs in northeasterly
course and empties into Clear Fork.
None of the streams on the north
side of the "mountainsn run all the
time, but all have stock water, which
at all seasons of the year stands In
holes. They have wide valleys. those
of Elm fork being about two miles
wiIe, the Others from one-half to one
mile wide. There are no living
springs in this section of the county.
Water by digging or boring is easily
secured in all the valleys aud level
plains throughout the county at from
twenty-five to thirty feet below the
surface. The we'll water generally Ia
excellent, with some lime in t..
winch makes IL hard for
washing purposes. In the north
western part of the county the well
water is slightly impregnated with
gypsum, which gives ii q sweetish but
not unpleasant taste.
In The town of Abilene are "A num-
Der OF excellent wells, but many of the
citizens rely on cisterns for domestic
purposes.
- TIMBER AND FUEL SUPPLY.
Iaylor Is not, properly speaking, a
oil Al