The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-05-28
THE SEASON.

IT NEVER rains but it pours may be
aptly applied to the present spring
season. Seldom. If ever, has there
been another just like it. and the effect
is problematical. There has been hard
ly enough sunshine this spring to
thoroughly warm the earth, and the
effect has been that vegetation has
grown here as in more northern lati-
tudes, where the soil requires a |
long period of sunshine to !
warm it. The effect on growing corn
has been wonderful, and it is predicted
that Texas will make the largest corn
crop ever grown south of Kansas and
Missouri. Oats have so far done adj
mirably, and SHOULD there not be
too much rain and warmth combined,
the yield must necessarily be as large
as was ever before known in the State;
and there have been some almost
fabulous yields of this grain in Texas
Of grain and grasses we are reasona-
bly,. thefffofegt6 expect the create t
ABUNDANCE. Hog and hominy ought
entiful in Texas another year,
or good fat beef it is going to
iful, and therefore, it ought to
and cheap. But while such
hit prospects, affecting de-
At of agriculture and livestock
on, the prospect in another
10 NOT onnnnrorino Tho
Top upon which our agricultur-
I'D for money is cotton. The
ut belongs to warm elm
1d is well known that too
Ell rain is of great damage to it.
to this time the
[ns, since the seed thu
[Were planted terminated, have been
almost perpetual. 1t has been diff
cult to clear the growing crop of
weeds and grasses, but outside of this
| there is a still more serious question.
! The cotton plat, to be pr4 pared for
l the best fruitaye, requires oh a MOD
crate aRountof moisture witt plen!y
g OF warm sunshine. 1t basAS III
S the Sins parching
o aPG~ must enjoy them NO
hAally give contentment and profit t0
tie farmer. But the history of sea-
scns in Texas demonstrates that very
y Wet ones are followed by excessively
y dty ones. In 1872 the spring rains
21tel at longer intervals than this year;
there was given amount OF rainfall
e spread over much longer periods than
r this year, and there were nc
9 very heavy rains as there has been
: this season. The rains continued d.
ing the entire summer. IL d glVel
!, amount of annual r"inIah pe uue Us
then this amoupUls being rapidly ex
: hausted, and re may soon look fol
ono 80 of weather tt
follow an r. In 1881 tht
season was quite similar tt
L the one of thisy ear. There were CO.
pious spring rains and the prospects
IS for corn crop was never better, an(
: yet the crop almost entirely failed
| duu COIu WGQG 10 Ou0 OO1ldT per UuSu
: ell, oats to eighty cents. Should th'
It rains stop soon it may be expected
Il that soils will rapidly
l., bake, and this must necessarily b.
attended with damage to crops
Should this condition come before tn,
corn is made it must be seriously af
fected by it. Should it not come sooI
enough to affect the corn crop, it MAJ
: still seriously damage the cotton
| What is wanted in Texas
is not only better farming, but NOR
, even seasons. The enc may be OBJ
4 tanned; the other is providential. ant
must he submitted to. But if WI
sS,sre given charge of the weather il
xas for one year 1t is our honest opin
n that seasons would be better regu
Ated, and that they would give NOR,
profit to agriculture. After all, how
ever. we may as well be happy tina
the grass is growing luxuriantly ant
that our cisterns are full of goo(
water.