The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-04-19
From Texas.

GRANBURY, IEX.. April s. 1SSS.
DEAR VIRGINAN am constantly re-
ceiying letters from various parts of the
Valley of Virginia. making inquiry in ref
erence to Texas soil, climate, cheap fertile
lands. NC. |, therefore. ask that YOU pub
lish this letter. not only as an accommo-
dation to me, but to your subscribers. also
LIST, Climate. The climate of Texas is
all that one could desire. In the Southern
portion they seldom have freeze. In the
central portion. in which l am located,
we have the rose blooming from the 1st of
April to the 18th of Dc mber, aud some
times even longer. In my county Hood
we have two months winter, but some
times these twumonths do not present the
a )pearance of winter. In fact, when we
do have a cold spell, it is generally the
remains Of a Northern blizzard If it were
not for ths billiards., would only have AL
o ,casi0nal frost to Indicate winter. One
cannot appreciate this lovely climate until
he has passed a winter here. | was raised
| in the hills OF Bath Co., VA, and have
seen more disagreeable weather there in
| April than | have seen during the past
winter ia Hood county, and the past win
ter has been usually hard. A cold spell
seldom lasts longer than four or five days.
These y orthers are quite severe, but for
tunatey last only short time. The Their
mOmeier during these nOrtherS may fall to
| 129, ard in few days rise 10 40. so or
even go or 10 in the shade. and stand there
some time, never saw it necessary for
comfort before to hoist windows and extin-
! guish the fire in mid-winter. For the past
few days the thermometer has been regis
tering 500. Further North in the pan
handle of Texas. the climate of course is
more severe.
I'd. Soil The soil in Texas is as fine as
any in the Union. We have black, waxy,
sandy and sandy lean, adapted to all kinds
of small grain. cotton. sugar cane, pota
toes, pecans and melons to Perfection
Fruit does not do so well in Hood co. as
in Virginia, still it does well. Hood coun
ty is pretty equally divided in prairie and
timber. The prairie is fine grass and the
timbered part is an excellent sandy loan,
which yields elegantly. The famous Bra
EOS river flows through Hood county from
! north to SOUTH and its bottoms afford some
of the finest soil | ever saw. Its bottoms
are timbered. The timber of Hood is
small and scrubby. Paluxy creek flows
through Hood from north to south, and it
can boast of some very fine farms. These
lands are all cheap, can be bought from So
to SIS per acre. These are just as good
lands, and in fact the soil is much deeper,
as any in the Valley of Virginia. There
is plenty OF soil here Is feet deep and
they never need any fertilizer. Il man can
come here with 81 200. buy $50 acres of
land for $3.50, pitch tent. buy two horses
for SIS, $50 worth Of farming implements,
and the 1925 which he has left to run him
till fall when his crops will pay him 60
per cent. on his money invested, This es-
innate is on thirty acres that one man is
supposed to work
Capt. Thrash, of Granbury, informed
me that he has three hundred head of cat
a mouthful of anything during the winter
sheep and goats all do well without feed.
am located in Granhury, Hood county,
Texas, practicing medicine. l came here
in Feb. 'S7, and am so well pleased that l
never expect to return to Virginia. Gran,
bury is situated on the north bank of Bra
EOS river, has a population of 1900. one
railroad, a $4,000 college, IS ID. roller
mill. 8 hotels and some fine business
houses. S. j. Thrash has drug store that
would be credit to any city. We do not
promise ally very fine dwellings, fine horses
and cattle, but we do promise as fine land
as the sun ever shOne on, as fine climate
as you ever saw, if you never visited Tex
as. and last but not least, a good, gener-
Gus, sociable people.
would say in conclusion. that those
who are comfortably situated in Virginia.
stay in Virginia; but if you will go some
where. come to Texas. for we Will welcome
you, and know you will stay when yon
come. Texas is great big State with its
treasury full of money.
Very respectfully,
H. w. WANDLEss, M. D.