San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-11-28
CONTRIBUTED SCRAPS.

which it will traverse, but
will increase the trade and bust
ness Of San Antonio.
AS extreme southwest Texas in
creases in population and wealth,
in consequence Of this railroad
opening up the country, San Anto.
MO will reap a richer harvest of
trade each succeeding year.
She is almost certain to have the
bulk of this trade poured into her
lap from the fact that she will
scarcely have competitor for it.
There is quite large section of
territory between San Antonio and
Brownsville, that has heretofore
been measurably cut off from
communication with markets, but
the projected railroad, by opening
an outlet to market would stimu-
late the settlement and cultiva-
ton of this territory. Nothing so
powerfully stimulates the settle
ment and development Of a coun-
try as does the opening an outlet
to market for itssproducts.
Thera is no section in the United
States, so admirably suited to vine
yards, orchard and vegetable gar
dens, as that which the railroad to
Brownsville would traverse. The
climate is all that could be desired
The soil is equally we'll adapted
Fruits and grapes grown in this
territory could be put on the
market at least month in advance
Of the same crops in California
and there is great advantage in
this circumstance. 1t enables one
to obtain a better price for his
fruits and grapes than he could dc
at later season.
What is said of getting fruits ard
grapes to market ahead OF Califor.
MIA, is equally true Of vegetables
and melons. These crops are inf
nitely more profitable than the
growing Of cotton even at ten cents
a pound.
But, it may be said, the territory
in question, is deficient in rainfall
and, therefore, ill-suited for fruits
grapes, melons and vegetables
Conceding this to be true, to some
extent, the scantiness Of the rain.
could be supplemented by irriga.
ton.
1t requires much less moisture
to grow good crops than is general.
| ly supposed. When an excess OF
rain Is followed closely by a
drought, the soil hardens and
bakes, so as to become impervious
to the roots and flbres of plants,
and vegetation suffers from the
transition from floods Of rain to
drought, as the rains have filled
vegetation with an excess Of sap.
1t may be safely assumed that
throughout the territory in ques-
ton water could be obtained by the
boring of artesian wells for the
purpose of irrigating the soil. The
landowners in each neighborhood
could club together, and bore as
many artesian wells as are re-
quired. The water could be col
lected and stored in tanks until it
should be needed for irrigation, so
as to utilize every gallon of it.
Lands which were "dirt cheap
and really valueless in California,
prior to the adoption of irrigation,
are now selling at $500 to $500 per
acre, which demonstrates the pro-
fitableness of irrigation in arid and
sub humid sections Of country.
II a person had a vineyard of ten
acres, an orchard of twenty acres,
and thirty acres in vegetables and
melons, it would pay him hand
somely to bore an artesian we'll for
irrgating his land.
One crop would richly repay him
for the money expended in boring
the well, as the crop would be in
creased an hundred fold by irriga-
ton.
Rice, sugar cane, oranges and
doubtless bananas, could be profit
ably grown with irrigation.
San Antonio could derive very
great advantages from the con-
struction of a railroad to Browns
Vile, and this advantage would in
crease proportionately with the
development of the country trav-
ersed by such road. 1t admits of
no manner of doubt that such a
road would have a magic influence
on the settlement and develop
ment of the intervening country.
The business men and capitalists
of San Antonio will be stone blind
to their own interest, in case they
give the "cold shoulder" to the pro-
jected railroad to Brownsville.