The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-10-01
Latter from Texas.l
JARDIS, Hunt Co., Sept. 20,

JARDIS, Hunt Co., Sept 20. 1886.
EDITOR UNION TrxEs.-ThinkiDg that few
items from the Lone Star State might be Of
interest to the readers Of your paper | here
with send few. We can now tell pretty well
what the crop will be this year. II will be short,
to say the best of it. We had much to contend
with in this section Of the State. Although
lands wsre well prepared and the early csndi-
tions very favorable, dry weather in April and
May caused cotton seed to lie in the ground
until June, when grass and cotton came up to-
gethsr, necessitating much hard work to get tho
cotton thinned and keep tho grass in subjection
During Juno aud the frst half Of July the seas
ons were favorable, and cultivation kept pace
with it. The plant grew nicely Ind was fruit
ing satisfactorily. Tho prospect for very
large yield was then fsttering, indeed the
rains stopped about the middle Of July, but
the plant did not suffer much until August lst.
1t then began to need rain, and it was then that
dry, hot winds set in, blowing at night part Of
the time, lasting about three weeks. Striking
it at this critical stage-the main month for
fruiting and develop Of the plant-it caused
the entire top crop to drop off, Bols that
were not fully matured at the commencement Of
| the dry hot weather, are small, and, strange As
| it may seem, the rust has damaged great deal
| Of cotton, especially in the sandy land. Rust
in South Carolina in dry weather is a rare thing.
l believe; but am told shat rust almost inva-
riably attacks the sandy land cotton every year.
The corn crop is short thi, season, also, COM
pared with last year, when from 40 to 70 BUSH
els per acre were harvested. This year 20 to
40 bushels Per acre will be the extent Of the
crop. Old corn is scarcsr than it would have
been, no doubt, owing to the long continued
drouth in the western part Of the State. Any
way, the scarcity Of and the demand for corn
has advanced the price from 80 and 35 cents in
the Spring to 60 and 20 cents at this time.
Oats are scarcer this year than usual owing
to the drouth in April and May. Prices range
much higher than last year and ain Of opin-
ion that South Carolina farmers will have to
pay we'll for the Texas red rust-p oof oats next
Spring.
Land is high in the State. In central and
northern Texas the price of good farming land
ranges from $l2.50 to $50 per acre. BY good
farming land is meant improved black -wa1y or
| DlaCH-5onOy lhuu vi CouTSe VI
timbered land, away from the railroad, can be
bought from 81 to $40 and ST.. 80 per acre ; but
there is not much Of this sort Of land in central
and northern Texas. Farms Of 200, 800 and
500 acres are out of the reach Of men Of small
means. A man who can buy loO-acrs farm
here is well-to-ds. I know Of five farms ad
joining, with 80 acres each, and farms Of IL
and 20 acres are not on uncommon thing here
To show you how high land is going, will
mention an instance: On the 9th September W
A. Sandsrson sold r. +. Maddox farm Of l0l
acres, two miles from the city Of Fort Worth
in Tarrant county, for $1,500-in round num-
bers, at $75 per acre.
SO many people from the East and Northeast,
emigrate 10 the State, who cultivate this rich
land and help to build cities and towns: :ha
whom they arc built railroads 60 to them, pass
ing through the country hence land enhances
in value. Two railroads trnversed this Hunt
county lst JANUARY, 1886; third one is nearl.
completed from Dallas to Grsenville, the county
site; a fourth 10 graded from Dallas, passing
through Hunt TO Honey Grove, and fifth j
being surveyed, to go through Hunt, from Sher
man IN Mount Pleasant Texas j. S. G..