The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-04-23
BOTH SIDES ON HORTICULTURE.

a
Each region Of country On the face OF
the globe may be said to have its for
and its against with reference to every
thing in it and of course Texas could not
be expected TO present any exception &c
the prevailing rule The only means
left Us. therefore, for deciding upon the
standing or importance Of any particular
thing in Texas, or anywhere else as to
that matter, IS to SUN up the for and
the against in the case: or, in other words,
the forces that foster and the forces that
hinder, and then strike off balance
sheet showing at q glance which side
has the best Of il.
The initial report Of the Texas state
horticultural society has paper from
Mr. T. W. LKirispatrick Of Mckinney,
handling this matter on the plan suggested
and taking for his subject general horti-
culture in Texas Leading off with the
side Of for ne points TO n most inviting
soil and climate; soil presenting every
grade Of fertility ranging from clear white
sand 10 deep, black vegetable mould,
grading down through all the colors and
textures Of sandy and sandy loan in
depths varying from one inch to many
feet; also rich and productive clayey
soils pure ANA mixed, fine and coarse,
white and black. red and yellow. Taken
a- a whole these soils are rich TO the
HIGHEST known average degree in every
quality required in general horticulture
for the production Of the various vegetable
articles of utility or luxury demanded by
civilized man.
All of these fine soils are acted upon by
dews ana rains, and warmed into life and
fruitfuness by radiant sky. They are
further endowed as to temperature by Glti-
tuaea varying from q few feet to 1000 yards
above the sea Over all hangs an atmos-
pAere manipulated into sweetness and
purity BY shifting brcczes from the differ
rrt oceans OF the western hemisphere.
The state of Texas has marked upon her
maps fourteen degrees of longitude and
eleven degrees Of latitude, the lowest line
OF latitude lying but 4 shor, distance above
the northern border of the tropics. This,
with her varying attitudes, gives every
character Of climate known TO the lower
temperate zone.
our soils and waters are rich i'll every de-
siraDle quality, and MI our natural condi-
lions are favorable 20 extended horticulture
common 20 temperate zone; and it would
almost De safe to say, common to the trop-
as. We actually reach below the line gen
rra'f = recognized as the belt of sub-tropical
products.
While fires kiudled by savage hands have
annually swept over large areas Of Texas,
leaving the earth exposed and bare, yet
nature las SO vigorously fought against
TINS fragrant violation OF her laws that we
still have left TO the use of I civilized and
more considerate race an Infinite number of
rarr fruits. nuts and flowers, all of her own
planting. These, our bounteous gifts from
nature. show US what Texas is capable of
DOING. and thus encourage us in our onward
march rs Texas horticultursta And in al
ditiou to all This. man. by actual experience
here. has clearly demonstrated, to our
greater cncouragemeut, that most OF the
better introduced fruits can be grown 10 the
very highest success. What part of the
earlh can produce finer peaches than East
Texas Where can be- grown better apples
than are now grown in the Red River coun-
Try Who has ever seen, anywhere, more
delicious grapes than load the vines in West
Texas, or more excellent pears than are the
product of our gulf coast region! What
country or part Of country on the whole
surface OF the earth can successfully yield
a greater variety of fruits tran character
iz,, Central Teas
so much for few of the forces favoring
general horticulture in the Lone star state.
Taking up the other or opposing side, Mr..
kirkpatrick refers specially TO what we
have known Us 'northers," which some
lines bring on rather sudden extremes Of
warmth and cold. We may be enjoying our
regular winter weather. baImy, dreamy,
soft and Italian-lil,c. when, suddenly,
though not often. Will uounce down upon
u, blizzard from the north, carrying the
temperature several degrees below the
freeing point. OF course Mr. kirkpatrick
was Lcvut.ng himself entirely to Texas.
I''aN' lltN4N no Necessity u It4ttIAhS 10
tiu, fact that precisely the same kind of
thing often take, place in all the lower
Southern states. We have Billiards here
lao of,cuer than they have them in Missis-
..lqd. Alabama and Georgia. and they are
Io more severe here than there. OF course
they are q force somewhat against hoticult-
ire anywhere. We can add from our own
experience and observation, however, that
vegetation III Texas viii pass mscAthed
through Il much lower temperature than in
any oC the states east OF the Mississippi
river. THIS IS probably due 10 q dampcr
atmosphere over there. The present spring,
since ycgrt4 ION began to appear in Texas,
We have seen weeds and grass entirely white
with FROST, Yet after the frost had melted
away You could not have told by look
IL III the plants that there had been
any 'os, whatever. !, left no mark; but
such a frost in South Alabama would have
left everything black and sere. Most Of our
fruit seems To have gone safely through all
OF H. while lighter frosts in the states re-
fer~ej TO have made 4 clean sweep Of ali
the fruit,
~ another force hindering horticulture
in Texas Mr. Kirkpatrick refers 10 e.
rroraeS Of food and drouth. Our extremes