Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-08-04
LETTER FROM TEXAS.
An Interesting Letter-The Crops. Fruits,
Flowers, de-, of the Gulf Coast.

An Interesting Letter-The Crops. Fruits.
Flowers, &e., of the Gulf Coast.
Missouri CITY, TEX, july 26. 81.
In riding over the country one would
think by looking at the crops that Jack
Frost might put in his appearance al
most any night as the corn is in the
shock. The refuse of the sorghum
patch that had been made into molas.
ses and . very peculiar weed that
grows on the prairie, the leaves of
which are white and remind one of the
white blossom weed 10 Tennessee, that
are so full of bloom late in the fall.
Corn is a pretty fair crop but would
have been better IL rain had come Just
at the proper time; we have needed
rain here for quite a while, although
local showers have fallen all around
US. Cotton has begun TO open and
some will be picking this week; the
crop is pretty fair and a very good
average is expected. Peaches and
pears are ripe in abundance and are
sold at from 80 cents to 81 % per bushel
in quantities to suit the purchaser.
This country Is equal if not superior
to any for general farming, yet the
manifest destiny of it is to become one
vast fruit orchard, vineyard and gar
den. 1t is the natural home of the
pear, grape, fig and strawberry, and
the phenomenal returns realized from
these crops where they have been tried
for u number of years, as we'll as the
experiments made with others, together
with the splendid market and shipping
facilities enjoyed by the locality within
the next ten years, will make every
acre OF these lands worth as much as
those of California.
All the advantages seem to be with
the fruit farmer on the Gulf coast. The
land is easily titled no irrigation is
necessary, trees free from blight and
insect pests.
The coast belt will grow successfully
nearly all the fruit of the temperate
zone, as we'll as the semi tropical hav-
ing any value. The japanese plums
and persimmons grow to perfection.
Experiments have been recently made
in growing plums, chiefly the Japan
ese varieties, and the results have been
such as to lead to the belief that this
fruit is destined to be one of the most
profitable grown in the coast country.
Its splendid shipping qualities render
the plum a most valuable addition to
the best of products of this favored
region.
The soil varies from n deep, heavy
chocolate of the %vallies or bottoms to
the light sandy soil of the prairie.
The soil of the vallies is unsurpassed
for fertility in the known world.
Oyster Greek and the Brazos vallies
are often referred to as the mile of
America" the Sugar Bowl of Texas"
&c. Many of the plantations in these
vallies have been in cultivation for
6fty or sixty years. They have never
been fertilized, and today are growing
as heavy crops AS they were when
broken. The prairie lands present
many different varieties of soil, from q
light sandy to u heavy black loan,
with just enough sand to make it scoul
we'll. Much of the prairie land has &
soil from three to five feet deep, mel
low and easy of cultivation when once
planted.
The prairie land is especially adapted
to the cultivation of fruits and vege-
tables, but is also planted to cotton anC
corn, the average yield being one bal'
to the acre on old ground and from
one half to three fourths bale on new
ground, though a bale on sod was no
uncommon last year.
The soil of the bottoms is exceedingl,
rich and very deep and especial,
adapted to the growing of sugar cane
corn, oats and cotton, and will produc,
1900 pounds of sugar and from TIVE
to three barrels of molasses to the acre
The best sugar crop ever produced il
the United States was from Brazor;
County soil. Corn yields from twent.
to forty five bushels, oats from fort1
to fifty and cotton from n to one ant
one half bales, though often more
' This entire county is sub.irrigated
which enables it to withstand droutl
, more successfully than other localities
l the soil showing moisture on a Sigh
stirring aver at the dryest season. B.
reason of its proximity to the gulf q
ample and %seasonable rainfall is guar
anteed.
Angleton is the new county site o
of Brazora County, and is CROWN
faster than any other town in the gul
l coast country. 1t is situated On tn
4 edge Of a vast prairie, on the Velasc
Terminal Railway, fifteen miles mort
of the great seaport of Valasco an
forty five miles south of Houston, th
great railroad center of the south. Sh
l has good schools and churches and
: well represented in the various me
camille lines and professions.
Angleton has the brightest future {
any town on the coast, and inside {
9 two years will undoubtedly have NJ
n less than 5000 population.
II you want to be in the brighte
summer land where the gentle gu
s breeze brings health and happines
where the soil is rich, where fruits on
. nz..o.c 20 go N,a., ,I...ato n.or.nI