The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1893-12-10
RESOURCES OF TEXAS.
INvusTrGAIIoN ny COMMISSIONER
uoLLiSGswoRTB.
Result OF Pear Cultivation I'm the
CoBst ReRion--Tho Grain and Cot
ton Lands and what They Arc
Capable OF Producing.


lowing Is from Commissioner Hollings-
worth, commissioner OF the department
OF agriculture, statistics and history:
II has been one OF my main efforts as
commissioner OF agriculture TO collect In
my department an exhibit OF the various
products OF the State, together with such
Information as would be OF use In exem-
pnfying the agricultural and horticul-
turai possibilities OF Texas. While readily
admit the great value OF our undeveloped
resources and the Importance OF establish
ing factories, yet at the same time /
am forced to the conclusion that, the
wealth Of Texas consists in It's incompara-
BILE agricultural and horticultural posi-
bliltles, pursuits to which our people are in
ali things ADAPTED and the soil, climate
and season lend every aid. do not claim
to have completed my work so FAR as
to give IN Iull these possibilities, yet
think sufficient can be said TO arouse an
interest at home and to be exceedingly
suggestive TO all persons investigating
such questions.
place does experimenting with varieties
and methods produce more startling re-
suits than IN Texas. OFTEN man iahs
with variety where later ON another
man, by adopting "A new method, using the
cess. when Ms. H NJ Stringfellow con-
cluaed to plant pear orchard IN caves
ton county and make the lie Conte pear
his principal one. his friends told MIN
who had tried that pear ana taneai 70
beware OF danger and great loss dhVng
nothing to guide him in the way OF otner
mems success and knowing what ms
friends told him WAS so, he concluded as
last resort to plant the pear orehafd ana ana
rely on new methods for results. rms
year he has marketed BIZ bushels Of
pears off OF thirteen acres, and mas palu
out nearly 500 per acre to his neishoorS
as wages for help and harvesting, ana
the crop netted him S52i5. His new tnethod
was merely TO fertilize ms land heaNlly,
using as much as ton per acre anu ms
results a fortune to himself and descend-
ants. / have in my collection one Dushel
of these pears, and they average 80 ounces
each in weight, and VIII sell, on account
OF excellence, in any market In oats
can present some wonderful facts. Ihey
are winter oats, and have been grown
by MIR. John Harrison OF Nasn, Ellis
county. for twenty-five years. AS soon as
he haryests his oats he turns under the
stubi,A- His oats come up voluntarily,
nnd he only sows when ne desires 70
change his field for oats. Ihe satnplss l
have are the nth crop from the sowing,
on which one hundred mules We're pas
tured all winter, and yet i MADE over
seventy bushels per acre MS teast ,i6,pp
4 \ ss-. TWENTY-FIVE years was sixty busheis
to the acre, and he has made as hlgh az
ninety bushels per acre. ! also nave me
red oats taken out OF folir hulaI ,., s icass
patch that averaged over one nnnured
and twenty-five bushels per acre. Nneat,
0f which / have SIX varieties shows
yield ranging from q 70 t as oasne,s 5 3eI
winter wheat, and the samples are eA-
cellent. ,.,,
WHY lands IN the North and Central por-
lions of the State and the black, sandy,
chocolate and red lands OF the west anu
North. AS cotton is the principal crop 81
the black waxy lands, but little expert
ment on varieties and methods as TO grain
has been made. 1t is looked upon by al
that crop Of grain Is certain, ana puI
little care Is given TO the preparation 81
the soii or the selection Of the variety.
In tho West and Northwest all credit Tor
a crop of grain IS given to the season ana
variety and methods play but small
part, yet j have all kinds of grain per
fectiy grown and showing large yield,
In all the states where the people on ac,
count OF the density OF the popul ,ol1na aio
adopt methods and select varieties with a
View 70 get all possible from the soil, the
Yield In sfain has lqi9Tiy pe ,,,1, aonp es
safely say that every Indication points 20
similar results In this state. Here have
oats that have made ~ bushels per acre
The man who grew them put IN little
extra time In nreperlng the soil HIS
neighhors made Is bushels per acre, hence
this little extra time paid him ~ bushels
OF oats per acre Now let us add FERTILE
ers and little more time. and what them
IN wheat / have As bushels per acre
against 25 for neighborine farms a little
bushels OF wheat per acre. NOW, what
can he added by varieties and fertilizersl
IN corn, barley, millet and rye the same
results are shown. am convinced that by
experimenting on methods anu selection
OF the variety best suited, the yield OF
grain In this State can be made phenome-
nal and the grain crop Of the West and
Northwest made az sure as the Gotten
crop on the black lands.
have often advocated the diverslfying
OF crops / know there are portions OF
ifayan that make of pra1g
that can be successfully grown there than
out Of cotton. ] have some fine samples
o. tobacco from many places IN Texas,
and II can DO made paying crop. A AIr.
George Mayer in Dallas county Is making
$50 per acre on tobacco The Idea that
tobacco grown here Is nor 80 strong and
wen Favored Us that grown elsewhere Is |
a mistake, because when properly handled |
and cured IL has both strength and flavor.
Texas tobacco Is like all other kinds, 1t |
must 20 through Eweats and curing pra-
cesses to bring out It's qualities. bnt It's
when brought our, are perfect. |
end WIN sell anywhere. n East Texas
should he cultivated extensively and with |
big profit. also have flax. II decorticates |
perfectly with a fine fibre ana the yield Of |
lust for the seed and the seed natures
perfectly IN Texas ana yields O large |
amount of OIL. Rice l also have. and |
oepuble 10 rice culture. Texas rice Is an |
TING as rice raised anywhere, ana sells as |
well sggaE Is Z paying crop IN Texas, as
on liisIllstsf4s wines. snow that In Texas d
Vit4tl41pB rdustry can be started when the /
pe1Kt Ifel so inclined.
I'M - horticulture. / WIN make the |
nptid (stateInant that my exhibit shows |
c4hclhsiyely that no man has any posslble |
txcuaa Tor not haying fruits flowers and
and vegetables OF all kinds ana many W. |
rietles from all portions o. the State and |
100, on az kinds OF soil l have them