Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-07-19

But important as Is the mineral feature,
that of agriculture is more SO, for upon that
after all success in other pursuits mainly
depends: and we are glad to see that the
agricultural phase is not neglected in this
report. On the contrary, we regard the
article on the agricultural capacities OF that
section as the best in the whole book, and
we would be glad if we could re-
produce it entire. As it is, we must be
content with d few excerpts. Mr.. Cum
Minis says:
Thirty years ago the broad prairies of
the ''black waxy'' lands in the middle part
of the state were thought to be too much
subject to drouth to be suitable for cultiv;l
ton, except for wheat. Now they are the
finest in the state. Ten Years ago, when
the Texas and Pacific crossed the BraZOs on
its westward march to the Rio Grande, it
entered a country almost entirely devoted
to stockraising, with only here and there
small farm, and the general expression and
belief was that ii would always be so. Be
fore the Colorado was reached even the
stOckman was not found, and the Staked
Plains We're thought TO be Il barren sandy
desert, over which even the wild game did
not roam. Ten years ago all the Panhandle
was unoccupied except by stockmen. Now
prosperous towns have sprung up along the
lines of railroads, and farms are being
opened up at rapid rate. On the Staked
Plains, where there was thought to be no
water, and where whole parties of emf
grants on their way to California and thou
sands of cattle being driven across the
plains persisted for lack of water, it has
been demonstrated that everywhere at
depth of from thirty to one hundred and
fifty feet abundance OF water can be OBJ
tanned by digging. These lands, instead of
being, as the geographers taught, desert,
are covered with a luXuriant growth of uu-
tritious grasses, and the soils are as good
as any to be found in the state.
Steadily the settlement of the country
has gone on, and the large cattle ranches
that once occupied the entire country are
giving place TO the agriculturist.
Thirty years ago the half of Nebraska
was thought to be only tit for grazing pur-
poses. but now it is the center of one of the
most fertile corn-producing countries in the
world. Colorado was once thought to be
the same; so was California; yet the value
of their farm products is more than the
output of their mines in single year.
These results have been obtained by util-
iZing the rainfall by deep blowing and sub
soiling, and thereby forming a reservoir
for the surplus water, which formerly ran
off and was wasted.
Last winter, at the foot of the plains in
Dickens county, we purchased oats at a
ranch at the same figures we had to pay for
them in Wichita county. They had been
raised on a farm of 800 acres sown entirely
in oats and barely. The oats had averaged
over forty bushels to the acre.
In Baylor county it has been demonstrated
that good crops of cotton can be made that
will class with that raised on the black
waxy lands of Dallas and Collin counties.
Wichita county is claimed to be the BAN
ner county of the state for small grain, and
these counties are but samples of what may
be done in any Of the counties of the North
west. Practical tests have proved that the
panhonila Of fTnyac iS destined RI hnpOToe n
fine agricultural district.
The wild fruits OF the northwestern part
of the state are restricted to few kinds
only. The plum, currant, wild haw, grapes,
dewberries, blackberries and algireta are
the principal kinds.
As far as fruit raising has been attempted
in Northwestern Texas, it has proved III
every way satisfactory. Like all other
countries, great many fruit trees have
died from neglect or want of proper care
after planting. Sometimes the tree has
been planted in a soil that was so close that
the roots could not penetrate it, and the
hole in which the tree was planted was so
small that only small amount of moisture
could be STORED up, ard SO when the dry
time has come the tree died from lack of
moisture. Where proper care has been ey-
ercised in planting and cultivating, no trou-
bic has been experienced in getting the
trees TO grow. All trees planted have a
vigorous growth and make plenty of wood,
sometimes too much for good fruit prOduc-
ing.
The principal kinds of fruit raised are
apples, peaches, pears, plpms, apricots and
grapes.
The report concludes with a description
in detail of the counties of Young, Mon
tague, Jack, Wise, Parker, Palo Pinto,
~,,lr Ala
We commend the perusal OF this pamphlet
to the people interested in the section of the
state to which it refers Anyone desiring
it can obtain a copy by sending 10 cents in
stamps to prepay postage to the state geolo- |
gist at Austin