Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-08-19

and believing at the top OF their voices.
That is as unpleasant place as I've
occupied since I've been in Texas.
And the ticks Well, never saw ticks
till came here. I've seen horses and
cows almost covered with them. 1t is
nothing uncommon to see two or three
horses on the street at time with one
ear broke down close to the head,
caused by the ticks making the ear
sore inside and then the screw maggots
get into them and eat them out till
they drop down. Cattle brought here
from the north seldom do any good.
When shipped here they all take the
Texas fever and die. Young stock
yearlings-do fairly well, but they and
horses get very poor and can't be fed
enough to keep them in flesh; but after
the first year they become acclim ated
and do well. Grass grows abundantly,
and saw one man cutting hay to ship
out in the open prairie.
We went to Houston last week and
stayed rather late before starting home,
we had driven about miles W hen we
were very much surprised to hear a
gang of wolves bowling; there is also
bears. deer, wild turkey aud other wild
animals in the timbers, although so
close to Houston. I've been told that
it is as thinly settled all around Hous-
ton az it is on this, the West Side.
There is a good deal of very sandy soil
in spots, and l learn it produces better
than the black soil the first year, but
will not hold its fertility SO long. This
whole country would be greatly bene.
fitted by good drainage, as the water
gets off so slow after hard or con-
tinued rain; sometimes it is almost like
lake for miles, in fact the whole
country is flooded, but there is no dan
ger of houses or fences being washed
away, but great danger of crops being
drowned out. In the timber or bottom
land there are good many small
lakes which abound in alligators, cat,
perch and other nice fish, also water
fowls, wild geese, white cranes and
ducks are plentiful in winter; also plo-
yer, prairie chickens and other game
birds on the prairies. Hogs do well
here, but have to be confined. Sorghum
is planted near the lot to feed them on
during the summer from which three
crops is often cut for feed. Five acres
will make enough feed for all the stock
one needs on an eighty acre farm, and
1T is often sown, moved, cured and
baled aud brings more in market than
any hay one can raise; mown three
times 1t makes an abundance OF feed.
Bermuda grass does well here and like
the wool in marino sheep, is short
and thick and makes an abundance of
hay; it runs on the ground like vine
and makes wonderful growth, but
when once set it stays. They say
sweet potatoes is the only crop that
will kill 1.-THE vines smother it out
| think it would be good to hold some
of the poor hills of Tennessee from
washing away, as they say it will flour
ish on any soil. I've never seen any
seed mature here, but 1t will readily
grow when planted.
We have here what they call hog
wallow land, which is said to be better
than smooth land; it is very rough to
drive over, and reminds one OF lot
where hogs had been fed and they had
rooted out beds In it and left it very
rough; it is very bad to plow or NOV
over. 1t is generally very black and
tough.
Well new cotton is picked and pass
ing here TO Houston to market thirteen
cars passed here yesterday with forty
five or fifty bales on each car worth
seven cents per pound, each bale
weighing 500 pounds.
see your Florida correspondent
talking of mosquitoes. believe can
beat him little. An engineer was
called into Brazos bottoms to repair q
thirty horse engine boiler; he got his
job nearly done one day and though,
Le would finish that night, so he got Q
light. got into the boiler and com
menced work. After dark while tn,
mosquitoes got so bad he closed th,
door and kept on at work; pretty soor
he saw small objects protruding thro
the boiler and he took his hammer ant
commenced bending them down unit
he had the entire inside covered with
what he thought to be ten ponny mai
points, he then heard n roaring sound
| and the boiler bepau In rock. ha xv m,