Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-03-18
WILBARGER COUNTY.
A Descriptive Letter Showing the
Undeyeloped Resources OF
Northwest Texas.
Climate, soil, water, Grasses apd other
Natural Advantages Awaiting
tho settler.

Correspondence OF the Gazette
DoAx, TEX, March l5.---I win begin In
The midst Of the clustering month OF
March to give your readers short synop-
sis Of the climate, soil, etc, Of this por-
tlon Of Texas.
March, nthe all weather" month OF the
year, Is much the same here ID regard 70
blnster, blow and changeable weather as
In other localities, although | note THIS
difference II Is not such damp, pene-
trating, cold wind as Is common In states
farther north We have here a dry,
changeable wind, tempered with the
warmth Of opening spring.
Complaining IS mostly done here 10
March, though oats, barley spring wheat
and some corn arc planted IN February
II Il considered here that spring larry
opens about the 10th Of March, and II y
safe 10 put in all crops except millet cot
ton melons and q few other tender plants,
as frosts of any considerable magnitude
seldom come after this date, and yegeA-
ton IL, as a rule, well started Dy tnls
limo Ordinarily we have enough calm
fall IN this portion Of Texas TO start The
spring crops and keep them growing
nicely until maturity. During the dryest
year we have known or noted for many
years in Northern Texas, seventeen show.
ers Great and small, fell, besides lew
light SHOWS. Rain fell as follows Two
IN February, one IN March, two IN APRIL
three Ia May, three IN July two IN sep
TENDER, four In october and two In NO
vember. This was the year Of 1881. In
( 1852 thirty-1vc rains foil, as follows
-Four in May, three In June, seven IN
July, dive IN August, seven In September,
five 10 October and six 10 December.
The above record was not kept In this
exact locality, but win doubtless be about
on average OF very dry year. and q
fairly eeasopable year here.
Tie extreme dry weather Of the year
usually sets IN after the small grain crops
have maiured. Fall wheat does well Ia
most localities, II would doubtless do
better II we had more snow In winter,
Some farmers In this county claimed to
have raised last year as high as thirty
Ave bushels OF fan wheat per mere, forty
toe forty-llye bushels OF oats and about
the same OF barley; rye twenty-three
bushels, corn from hfteen 10 dlty BUSH
els, and cotton from one.quart0r 70 one
bale per acre hlillet, Gyp corn and
sorghum Gun be raised Ia great abun
dance for cattle and horse iecd.
The climate Is 80 genial, and there are
80 many pleasant days IN each year, that
more labor can be performed on the farm
here than IN any state IN a more north
ern latitude. II Is seldom necessary TO
feed stock more than two months during
the year In order to Keep them IN good
flesh. We are eating beef here now IN
March, killed on the range that IS very
llue and never ate any grain, The loss OF
entile here on the range the past winter
will not exceed per cent, and the only
good cause for any loss was by reason Of
the streams being frozen for ten ortwelye
days in January, so that cattle suffered
for water and o few persisted Range
horses arc better ''rustlersn than cattle
and we seldom see one dead on the range,
Our native Texas grasses, of which IL IS
claimed there are 1858 variety, are well
represented her. The short varieties,
such as the mesquite and grammer, grow
In luxurious abundance ON the level
pralries, aud she tall sedgo grass along
the streams
We have diversified soil In this coun,
ty for 80 level or gently undulatng sur
face. Along the larger streams tRed ant
peas0 riyersj the soil is liaht-colored
deep, sandy loan. The low, level bot
tom lands bordering the river and bach
OF this the sand ridges are OF this charac
ter, covered with the tall sedge grass
About two miles inland the uplOnds o
level prairie lands begin with an ooca
slonal mesquite Hat or groves OF mesquite
bushes 10 break the monotony OF Il yer
level prairie surface This upland Is GOV
cred with the short, excellent grazing va
rietles OF grasses before mentioned. Tn
soil varies from deep black sandy loar
to dark, rather stiff, mesquite sol
which Is u little Of the nature OF the blac
waxy, except that there Is sand enoug
In I. to cause Il plow to scour or sli
nicely. This latter soil has red ella
subsoil and Is regarded as the best &
strongest aud most durable soil for u
purposes In the county, II is not quit
so easily subdued and put In Il ilne stat
OF cultivation as the sandy soils.
Near the larger streams and along SON
OF the smaller tributaries many very o.
oellent springs are found. Inland, or q
the dry sections, wells OF water ca
bo had by digging from ten 20 fort
ave feet, average depth twenty-five fee
The water IN some localities IL impreI
mated with saline substances, and In son
places gypsum or ''gypn water is foun
This gives the water bitter taste and
rather unpleasant to the taste. FIJI
wells OF pure soft water are found
some localities, aud Il Is probable II
\
'gypn water Is found, streams OF goC
water could be reached. This won
have TO be accomplished by means OF Il
dry pump or pipe driven on down
The county Is one.half site scho,
laua and one.half Houston & Texas &c
trial railroad lands, all on the market I
sale, except the waterfront sections
state school-lands. The dry sections a
most desirable FOR agricultural purpose
Good tanks can be made aud an abu
dance Of fine surface water thus obtain
for stock.
The mesquite bushes are not witho
merit and are worthy Of mention IN II
descriptive letter, These groves Of m,
quito are OF rather rapid growth. IN
grow 20 about the size and resent
pcach-trees, and, Il protected from /
prairie fires that sweep over this ooun;
every year, they would grow much lafg'
They make excellent Greenwood, and /
mesquite beans, which they bear ahu
dainty are nearly equal 20 cora 70 latt
horses