Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-08-12
For the Herald and Tribune.
LETTER FROM TEXAS.

Missouri City, Tex, July 80, '9e.-I
see you published my letter so I'll give
YOU few more items about this coast
country. We are situated about sixty
miles north of Galveston and eighteen
west Of Houston, on the s. P.R.R.
The soil 10 black, sandy loan, with
sand enough to make plow shed good:
out when wet will load one down till
he can hardly walk. Two crops of
irish potatoes are easily raised but
when raised will not keep after they
are dug, they soon rot. Sweet potatoes
do fine and keep, and those left in the
ground sprout early, and when the
vines are three or four feet long are
pulled of and cut in pieces of four or
hve leaves and laid across the ridge
and with stick with notch cut in
the end are pushed into the soil when
wet, where they readily grow; it ia
said the sections that have NO roots to
them make the best and largest pota-
/
toes Watermelons grow to perfection.
and planted in March are on the mar.
ket the first of June; but they are not
80 good as the melons grown in Ten.
nessee Peaches are ripe now but they
are small owing to dry weather. The
seasons are not so regular here as there.
"hen 1t rains it nearly always rains
too much, and when it is dry it stays
dry too long. The ground cracks open
four or five inches and sometimes three
or four feet deep, 80 tits almost danger
GUS for stock to Craze on the prairies.
water In abundance is found anywhere
by boring from fifteen to thirty five
feet with three inch auger and put
ting down pump, it is almost inex.
haustible, coming in from a sand
strata as fast tas pumped out; it is toler-
able good, but is warm. Near here are
large sugar plantations where large
quantities Of the ribbon cane 1--WE heard
Major Mcdowell talk so much about)
Is raised and made into sugar. This
cane never goes to seed, but the stalk
is planted in deep burrows then covered
very deep by plow on each side of
the furrow. In the spring double
turning plow is run on each side of the
ridge then hoe is used cutting off the
dirt nearly to the stalks to let in the
warm sunshine and they sprout at
every joint and make the cane; this
planting will last about four years,
when 1t is again plowed up and planted.
There is large refinery near here
where from $50 to 300 barrels of sugar
IS worked over and made into granu.
ated and loaf sugar every twenty four
hours. II some of our ladies could
zee the process through which this
ugar is taken ana the hands working
'tit l believe they would u.e less
ugar. Only men work in and around
ne refinery and some Of them 20 very
hinly clad, in fact, I've seen them
veil, the sweat stood In great drops
nd guess some of 1t fell off, and
reat big negro stood bare footed
hoveling the beautiful sugar, white az
ne driven snow. guess somebody
at some Of his sweat but its sweet all
be same. Pears grow here to perfec.
lon, and looks 30 funny to see large
richards with every tree leaning to the
orthwest caused by the constant
reeze from the gulf; even the cotton
rows that way, and almost all plants
the prairies where the breeze is con.
tant. Apples do not grow here at all,
least haven't seen any. Plums,
gs, grapes, etc., do well. The umbrel.
china tree makes the most beautiful
hade l ever saw for the yard, its leaves
re so dense the sun never sees through
nd they will make fine shade in
lree years. In the bottoms we have
,e blackberry, mulberry, ash, red elm,
Inoak, sycamore, pecan and prickly
'k,whose bark makes ones mouth feel
ot and cold, peppery and every other
sagreeable taste imaginable. The
I'D mustang grape grows In abun-
'uce In the woods. The timber does
It grow tall enough for more than
10 rail cut, but no rails are needed,
the fences are all wire, three or four
axe good fence. We use elm, null
rry and oak for posts. Some cedar
I'd Usage orange is shipped here which
axes the most durable post, they cost
'm twelve and one half to fifteen
nts, elm oak and mulberry cost from
rec to five cents each, and wire from
30 to S3 per 100 pounds, and fenceis
ickly made. JACK RABBIT.
Systpni I'm RoaI Renu iri,,e