The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-01-27
TEXAS COAST COUNTRY.
Hundreds Of Thousands Of Dollars Worth
Of Fruit and Truck
Will Be RAISED THEREIN THIS Spring
An Interview with Nat wetxei of st
Louis, Who Handles CantnIoupes
and Berries In Carload Lots.

Galveston, Texas, January 90 Mr. Nat
Wetzel OF St. Louis was In Galveston to-
day. Mr.. Wetzel is general manager Of
the greatest melon distributing house in
the world. He not only superiutends the
distribution and sale of all the high grade
captaloupes In the United states, but visits
each locality where such melons are grown
and instructs the farmers how TO prepare
the soil, and how to make high grade
goods. To Mr.. wetzel more than any
other man the coast farmers are Indebted
for tho splendid success they have achieved
thus far.
we only control the crops Of canta-
loupes and OF some other goods OF this
line In portion OF Texas at present" said
Mr. Wetzelt to The Post correspondent
our territory extends from Henderson to
Galveston and includes the towns Of
Troupe, Arp, Palestine, Grapeland.
Crockett, Webster, Lovelady League City
ana Dickinson. We will take out of this
territory this year, provided we have no
serious and unlocked for disasters $1,000
worth OF cantaloupes, 100000 Of peaches,
100000 OF tomatoes. $4,000 new potatoes,
$4,000 watermelons, 800, 900 strawberries and
as green beans. green peas pears, plums,
etc.
This great aggregation of spot cash
that will go TO the South Texas farmer
In the territory controlled by the dlstrih
uters whom | represent Is an eloquent
and convincing argument for this country,
Ihree years ago great majority Of these
same producers were toiling in the cotton
patch--driving mule for six days in
seven, from daylight 10 dark, and making
ABOUT S2h an acre per year Since the
experts sent out by the concern | repre-
sent have shown them the profits of up
to-date farming these same farmers pro-
duce crops on the same lands netting
them from $3.50 to $500 per acre. l am as
firmly in favor of modern methods in farm
Ing as ] am in modern methods In busi-
ness. The farmer must push himself for
ward or be passed by the Twentieth CEN
Jury get-up and get spirit.
Texas now ranks AL in the production
OF tomatoes aud cantaoupes This state
ment would have been laughed at three
or four years ago. but the fact Is Texas
won the tomato banner from Mississippi
in 1899, and the Alamo cantaoupe has
literally been selected as the best article
OF its kind throughout the wide world.
! have been along the line OF our pro-
ducers in South Texas and am glad to say
that IL no unforeseen disaster happens
South Texas will have money to burn
this year, labor will receive royal rev.
enue and everybody will be happy"
Mr. Wetzel. during this conversation
said "A year or so ago a short article
appeared in The Houston Post concerning
the Alamo cantaloupe. and that he had
received fully 5000 inquiries about the
subject that he could trace directly TO
The Post" Taking It for granted that
thousands. OF course, read the same article
that did not write my office force in St.
Louis would like to know whether every
country merchant In Texas as we'll as two
thirds of the farmers read The Post in
stead OF the Bible"
Rocky Ford country in Colorado was
with Mr. Wetzel. Mr. Crawley is one of
the most prominent horticulturlsts agrl-
culturists and fruit farmers In the Rocky
mountain country. He talked to The Post
correspondent long and interestingly, de-
failing much valuable information on the
subjects discussed. 1--WE will Immediately
commence the putting in OF 400 acres of
asparagus at League City. We calculate
to produce thousands OF dollars worth OF
this article and supply trade hereto
fore unknown We will make arrange
ments to can he surplus product. In case
we have a surplus Asparagus nets from
$500 to 500 an acre. Mr.. Crawley is an
expert fiuit culturist and expressed the
opinion that the red lands Of East Texas
which have heretofore been considered as
practically worthless will vet be the most
valuable producer Of any lands In Texas
why said he, growing enthusiastic
these lands would produce $500 an acre
IN peaches annually IL properly handled"