Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-14
The Fort worti-waco Irrigation Area.

these colu INNS an article describing what
Professor Robert T. Hiil calls the Fort
Worth Waco artesian well area OF Texas,
locating the area, on the authority Of
that eminent geolOgist, as heading prob
ably about the middle of Cooke county
and extending from that point, on an
average Of forty miles in width, entirely
across the state. From Cooke the area
runs almost due south 10 Bell county
whence II bears q little westerly to webb
county, striking the Rio Grande river
with Laredo about on its southeastern
border. The cities and towns that may
be regarded as central in the area ere
Denton, Fort Worth, Cleburne, Whit
ney, Bartlett, Taylor and Gotta.
other important places known to be
within the area, but not entirely central,
are AIvarado, Hillsboro, Waco, Bolton,
Austin, Kyle, San Marcos, New Braun
fels, Pearsall, santa Tomas and Laredo.
1t is 3 singular fact that two lmpor-
tant railroads have directly followed this
wonderful urtesion area from end to end;
the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe to Iay-
lor. in williamson county, and thence
the International and Great Northern to
Laredo. So closely have they trsversed
the area that one might almost jump to
the conclusion that its grent Importance
had influenced their location, yet we
well know that at the time of their origi-
nal survey nothing was positively known
of such a continuous artesian area Wlthih
the state of Texas. 1t is simply one OF
those cases of good luck that will some
times drop in unexpectedly upon the par
ties most directly concerned. 1t IS IN
doubtedly stroke great good luck IN THIS
case, for the day cannot be possibly far
distant when the arteslan advantages of
the area under mention sbeil have de-
veloped it Into one of the most produce
tive and fiourishing agricultural regions
in the Lone Star state, or, taken as
whole, in any other section of all North
America, for that matter.
AS stated in our former article on the
authority of Professor Hill, the artesian
aren marked ont as positively known to
exist, is entirely capable of sustaining
a population greater than all the popu-
l6tion now III the state of Texas. pom
the same undoubted authority it may be
added that the same area may possibly
extend, with more or less break, from
twenty to forty miles further eastward,
thus taking in Pilot Point, Plano, Dali
las, waxahachie, Hubbard, Marlin,
Cameron, Bsstrop, Lockhart, Seguin,
Floresville, Pleasanton, Tilden and Pes
cadita.
The lands of this area are the richest
and finest agricultural lands of Texas,
being generally Of the black waXy prai-
RE and the grand prairie character.
The only thing in the way of their full
est development heretofore has been
deficiency IN natural water supply. OF
course this discovery made by our geolo-
gists that an abundance of water may be
lad by boring, in many cases at very
shallow depth, must speedily throw thai
trouble entirely out of the way.
It is unnecessary for us TO tell THE GA
zErTE readers how the country of this
Fort Worth NEco artesian area is and at
present appears, for they know as much
about that as we know. In its natural
condition it is probably one of the best
agricultural areas to lie met with on the
American continent. In his fret annual
report of the geological survey of Texas,
Prot. f. T. Dumble, state geologist, says
of the region, page XVI, 1.-The black
waxy prairie has thickness OF some
1900 feet. These clays lie directly below
the sandy strata Of the gluconite beds on
the east, and rest On the gently sioping
beds of the Austin chalk, the outcrop OF
which marks their western boundary,
giving us an area thousands of square
miles in extent, which is one of the
greadest agricultural countries of which
we have any knowledge And on page
1l6 of the same report, Prof. Hill says
OF the grand prairie regions: Like the
main black wsXy prairie lands, from
which they are harulv OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES;
they are fine agricultural lands, possess
ing an advantage in being less sticky and
tenacious. The gluconite, or greensands
will no doubt be found in greater and
purer qualities in some localities than in
others, and will prove of great local
value as a fertilizer. In New Jersey SIM
liar marls are used TO the amount of ST.
600 900 worth per annum, and immense
tracts of previously supposed poor lands,
similar to some which exist in great
quantities IN our own state, have been
reclaimed aud converted by their use into
fertile fruit and vegetable regions.
AT present the average Texas farmer
IS not much concerning himself about
fertilizers, but the day will come that
shall find them in demand, especially if
heavy groupings be followed up, which
must be done to get the best out of it that
there is in agriculture. The finest lands
IN the world Will eventually become more
or less exhausted by heavy cropping.
Not long ago, while in San Antonio,
where a good deal of heavy cropping has