Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-27
TEXAS FARM AND FIELD.
The Fruits Grown in 1exas-All Texas
Fruit Country.
Some Pasture Grasses - Remedies for Two
Troublesome Tnsects-HOw to Protect the
Grape From It's Enemies.
Fruits Grown IN Texas.


wealth of Texas where fruits, in some of
their species, or varieties of species can
not be successfully grown. But, of
course, taking the state as q whole, no
rule can be laid down that will correctly
point out what kinds Of varieties are best
adapted TO Texas, owing TO existing
great diversity in local conditions, as
character of soil, climate, altitude, me-
te6rologv, etc. The kinds entirely suited
t. one locality may fail in another, and
vice versa. On this account it often
gets published abroad that certain fruit 8
cannot be made to succeed in Texas, the
person starting the idea having in mind
only some particular portion of the state,
and allowing it to figure as representa-
tive of the whole, which it could not
properly be, by any means.
When persons have asked US what
fruits could be grown in the Lone Star
state, we haye always felt safe in max
ing our list contain all the cultivated
fruits known to North America, with the
exception of few strictly tropical sorts,
and about one species peculiar to the
extreme northern portion of the north
temperate Zone-the cranberry. And we
are not by any means sure that the cram
berry might not be grown in swampy
places on some of the high plateaus
among the mountains III Northwestern
Texas.
True there are some fruits that are not
grown here-some of the small fruits,
for instance, as the goosebeTry, the cur
rant, and so on. But this fact does not
at all establish it that they could not be
grown in Texas, particularly along some
of the water courses well north. While
we do not know that either the goose
berry or currant has been tested there,
we ID confidently expect to succeed with
them on some of the aIluvial lands of the
river counties up in the Panhandle.
The whole fruit capabilities OF Texas
is, as yet, comparatively little under
stood, so far as relates TO species and
varieties that can be profftably grown.
Our experiment station, under the able
dictatorship of Professor T. a. Gulley,
has undertaken to throw light on this
important subject, and Bulletin No.
of the station, now before US, shows that
much has already been accomplished in
that directi ion. In arranging for the
makeup of this bulletin, circulars we're
sent out to about fifty experienced fruit
growers in the various sections of the
state, asking them to report on, accord
ing to their own experience and obseTva-
tions, six best grapes, six best apples,
six best pears, six best plums, ten best
peaches, three best blackberries and
three best straw berries for their respec-
tive localities. Thirty -One reports came
in, showing fruits eyerywhe re, but gen.
orally showing considerable variation
as to the varieties best adapted. Grapes
were represented as more or less extern
sively grown in the counties of Cham
bers, Victoria, Jackson, Waller, Austin,
Washington, Colorado, Grimes, Robert
son, Limestone, Smith, Wood, Denton,
Grayson, Dallas, Tarrant, Burnet, San
Saba, Nueces and Cherokee. Herbe-
mont was put down as the leading
variety, being grown in all the counties
named save Smith. Concord comes next
to Herbemont, then Delaware, and after
that there is more or less scattering as
to varieties.
Apples are quite generally reported.
In the lower counties summer apples
have the lead, but in many of the upper
counties good winter apples are grown,
among which the Ben BaEis appears to
stand AT the front.
Peaches have an extensive representa-
ton all over the state. The honey
variety IS probably the most conspic-
der. There are many varieties of Texas
origin, some with only local names, and
some not named at all. In not a few
cases they are of excellent quality, and
do extremely well where grown. They
are what is known as seedlings, and MIR.
G. N. Eley of Cham bers county writes
of them that they are of early Spanish
origin. No doubt Texas will some day
have very fine line of peaches worked
up from these old Spanish seedlings.
Several varieties Of plums are grown,
but those that have sprung from the old
Chickasaw kind give best results. Some
of the Japan sorts are being tried and are
promising well, but they are, as yet, too
new in the country to justify saying much
about them. A few of the old-named
varieties of the pear are cultivated, and
with good success in some localities. The
La Conte and keiffer pears are being
quite extensively planted in many parts
of the state, but these, like the Japan
plums, are too recent an introduction to
offer much certainty as to what they are
going to do for us. So far they are
promising very well, however.
Several varieties of the cultivated
blackberry have been giving good salts
faction, but owing to the general album
VI WIN DldCh U'~EIlSS anu u6WDSr-
ries few people have given the named
sorts much attention. Strawberries make !
q fair showing, and the range of varie-
ties cultivated may be called large.
Captain Jack is probably the leading va
riety, followed by Wilson s Albany. The |
as in most of the Southern states,
is springing into considerable popularity.
Professor T. V. Munson of Grayson
county says Parker Earle, q new variety
IF his own naming, wifE take the place of !
all other strawberries with him if it con-
tiuues in the future as it has been in the
past three years.
Of course this showing is for only few
of the fruits grown in Texas, but it is !
worth q great deal to US, limited as it is.
We need something to start our people |
into looking out for kinds and varieties |
best suited for culture in the section !
whege they live. A general interest in
fruits will soon cause that thing to be
worked up all right, and when the best !
are settled upon, they, in !
large per cent. of cases, will have been !
found among the novelties of local origin. !
That's how it was with California-to a |
large extent California had to find va
rieties peculiarly Californian before she
could run herself into any extraordinary