The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-02-07
The TEXAS COAST COUNTRY
~ Iaterestiss Article BY hoa. N,
". ncLaia.
MOST FERTILE SOIL ON THE GLOBE
4 splenaia Tribute to the Coast
Country Of Texas from IN APP
preciativs Source.

and an ex.director Of the Minnesota Stat
experiment station. has recently compile
4 letter on the Texas coast country, de
scriptive OF = visit to this section In 1894
The South Texan. an illustrated publication
printed at Cucro, prints Mr.. McLain's let
ter with very appropriate Illustrations.
At this time, when so many hundreds o
people are visiting the Texas coast country
IN article from an expert asricultunlis
and horticulturalist of Mr.. MoI.ain's abilit.
will certainly prove Of Interest.
Following is the major portion Of his let.
ter:
Throughout the great Northwest. tn,
great valleys Of the Missouri and the up
per Mississippi. throughout the region o.
the great lakes. and several other regions.
thousands and tens OF thousands have be
como tired Of the land OF the blizzard and
the snowbank-tired OF seven long months
OF winter and Ave short months Of sum
mer. tired OF the battle for prosperity and
comfort where the strife is unequal.
During the past three years | have talked
with scores Of men from all over the North,
whom | supposed were permanently settled
for life In the neighborhoois whore they
@s"' 'Ffh 'Aht ~ ~ 41bfk ~ a. - -
turp-professional men with large client
age; business inen with long established
and profitable business; farmers With rich
and finely improved farms, men sUch as
anyone knowing the Influences and inter-
ests surrounding them would naturally con-
clude could not be pulled out from their
positions with a stump puller. yet they are
Disseminated and dissatisfied. and anxious
to change. In nearly every case / found
the melting cause OF this discomfort TO be
the desire to escape from a rigorous and
trying climate. | confess that | share in
this common discomfort.
The Southern Pacific railway System ira
verses the coast country from cVst 90 west.
The trains on this railroad / found crowd
ed with homeseekers, coming rom all parts
of the United States north 81 Mason aud
DiSou's line. Mingling freely among the
passengers on the trains AID tie Gcests in
the hotels, / found a universal expression
OF satisfaction with the wonderful Natural
resources OF the coast country and the de
1ishtful climate. and q, surprise n the evil
denccs Of prosperity and rapid development
on every hand. Ninety per cent Of those
with whom | conversed expressed n determ-
nation either to locate at once or to re-
tusn and locate IA soon ns they could dis
pose Of interests To the North.
The term coast country" Is applied to
that portion Of tho State extending inland
from the gulf "A distance Of about sixty
miles. from the Sabine river on the east TO
the Rio Gran5e On ne west. embracing an
area Of about 81 600 square miles. Within
this region Is to be found some OF the most
fertile soil on the globe. West OF the
Guadalupe river lies what Is known as the
arid belt. a vast region now used mainly
for cattle ranches. over these wide plains
roam countless herds Of cattle, horses and
sheep. subsis,ing wholly upon natural
forage.
Tho soil In the arid belt Is mainly rich
and frlablc. but on account Of the luck OF
abundant rainfall IS better adapted for
grazing than Tor tillage. East OF the
Guadalupe, within tho rain belt there IL
abundant ant we'll distributed precipita-
tion. aud both soil and climate are adapted
10 the houut!tul production Of a greater
variety Of ncli. garden and orchard crops
than any Nike rxteu, Of territory in the
United States. Indeed, emitting the apple. !
&, is well nigh impossible 10 mentor any
field, garden OF truit crop which may not
b. grown hero IA the greatest abundance. /
and Of finest quality. IL only tho right va
rieties be selected.
This coast country IN we'll wRterei by
numerous rivers and smaller streams. flow
ing into the rulf. Good water for donos.
tic uses is found everywhere under tlay
sub-so.l, in a strata Of quicksand. varying
tn depth from fifteen to thirty feet. aud
artesian wells may be had anywhere. vary
iug In aepth from 80 TO 800 feet. The cost
OF a thrcc-ineh well ranges from $3.50 to
$500, and that ~ a four-inch we'll. all com
plete, aud furnishing the finest water sutA-
Gent Tor a large village or town, is about
$500. Tho water rises to an elevation OF
from ten to thirty feet above tho surface
all along the coast. An abundance Of
pure water FOR man and beast can not be
over estimated. for II is we'll known that
a very large percentages OF all tho sick
ness Incident to the settlement Of a new
country Ia directly attributable to the usa
OF impure water The bays and some OF
the larger rivers are navigable for medium
aud light draft vessela for considerable dis
tances from the gulf.
Speaking In a general way this would
bo called a prairie country. There are
large areas OF forest and wide belts OF
heavy timber IN great variety. and of the
finest quality along the water courses. but
the general surface OF the country is that
OF a level or slightly undulatlng plain. The
elevation from sea level increases at thc
rate OF from four to seven feet to the mile,
northward from the gulf.
Inc soil In the valleys, along the rivers.
10 a deep, black. sandy loan, and proba NV
no one now living viii be able 10 tost the
limits or It's fertility. IN some OF the
carrier settled localities. for example, along
the Brazos valley. twenty and even thirty
crops OF corn, cotton and cane. in as many
successive seasons have been produced
without the use Of any fertilizer uDon
a that shows no sign OF any dimlnutlon
IN productiveness or adaptabiiity to anv
crop tho tiller may elect. There ia ms,
no wear out to it" is the common conclu-
sion.
inc SOL OF the prniries consists of light
gray. dark brown and black, sandy loan
and a kind technically known az 'blach
waxy" and hog wallow. 4" Tho three Kinds
OF loan are friable soils and easily ,Iued
and very easily subiugated, The prairie
soil OF Texas rots much more readily than
the sitter sod of Illinois or Kansas prairia
land, and less power is required for deem
tillage. BLACK waxy' or hog wallo,y'
land is very rich. but power is required ,
to break 1t up and subsoil 1t and put Il in
for easy tillage. Although much
of the land Is planted In crops and truii
trees. as soon as 1t Is broken and tightly
subsoiled. the best practice Is to turn The
sod. then after sixty or ninety DAYS. pillow
deep and leave the soil to cure by atmos-
pneric action. then plant. The subsoil Ia
Almost universally retentive, furnishing
the best basis for the methods employed IN
intense farming.