The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-07-29

FRUIT AND TRUCK GROWING.
a. II. uAwLEY1

1. FhOi AlNO Y NUN 0NONVliNSs
a. II. 1tAwLEYl
The International and Great Northern
railroad. operated under its own charter
10 this State, Is a part OF tue great sys.
tenn known MS the Missouri Pacific. and
whatever else that system may be and
to whatever interests Il may contribute and
promote. Il is essentially the trunk line
OF the agricultural producer for Its rails
not only ramlfy and intcrlace the great
State of Texas but the States OF Arkan.
sns, Missouri, Nebraska Colorado aud the
indian and oklahoma Territories In Texas
we had $40 miles of railway on January /,
1901 Since that time We have acquired
the Calvert. Waco aud Brazos Valley road,
now under construction from Spring, TWEEN
ty-three miles above Houston. through the
BRACES valley, which vies, with the tabled
| richness ot the Nile, touching those splen.
/ did interior towns Navasotn, Bryan,
| Hearne, Calvert. Marlin, Mart and Waco
| on Its way to the city Of Fort Wortl,
| where It Will connect with the Fort Worth
and Denver City and the Chicago, Rock
! island and Pacific, and the Texas and Pa
! chc making Total mileage of 1887 miles,
/ One remarkable fact connected with tile
! International and Great Northern road Is
! that Il crosses the valley OF every large
! stream in the State Of Texas except the
| Red beginning Win the Sabine on
! the east. the Nerhes, the Trinity, the Bra
! zos, the Colorado. tho Guadalupe, san Mar.
cos, Frio and Nueces aud the Rio Grande;
ana offers. within the lower temperate gonv,
| climate susceptible Of production Of thr
| lime. lemon. orange, melon, hg, the peach,
! the pear the crane thc cltron and berries
| OF all kinds In connection With It's facil.
| tiles through all these great valleys OF
| fertile lands, the gulf division crosses the
! Trinity and san JHcinto rivers ana Runalo
| bayou terminating on the shores OF inc
| Gulf Of Mexico.
The territory lying east Of Hearne and
| along the line from Galveston TO Longriew
! is particularly adaI ted Ia the growth Of
small fruits. berries. melons, peaches aud
! pears on the southern end, toward Gal
weston. there Is enormous acreage of pear
| trees especially of tho Keller aud Le Contc
varieties. The trees are healthy, strong
and very fruitful the pears bringing good
prices The sandy loan Is particularly
I ndaptahle to the grow th ~ berries and vege
tables and ennrmou, acreage In tomatoes
aud other kitchen garden productions fully
establish the fact that scarcely an acre
In passing, i consider 1t proper Ia men
ton the fact that the soil Ia Montgomery
and Walker counties Is inviting to the 10
bacco grower. he quality Of tobacco pro
duced In previous years from seed from
Cuba being equal 20 that raised In cuba,
The coast country through which the
road runs possesses a suhirrigation OF IN
Doubted supply. and In times Of short rain
fall the hortieuturist finds In constant cut
tivation keeping the ground stirred ana pre-
venting the escnpe ~ moisture under the
Influence of the sun satisfactory yield
In fact, too much rain Is regarded ny the
Intelligent gardener or farmer ms a greater
disaster thag dr9P 1S %Ss ~ ne SroS 1
ny constant cultivation while not hay
ing this section of The country under o
good drainage system makes zoe fcoplo1ls
and In this connection n will he VOL TO
remark that until we have drainage acl
by the legislature Which VIII l,a enable ds ,y All
for the necessary canals 10 carry away
promptly the surplus water the ralnjall -
4 menace to the sue ccss Of his crops,
You must know the wagon road vs. the
connecting line to tho rnllroad. and any
neglect on your part to promote good roads
in yonr section Is direct neglect OF one
Of your most Important interests. Let us
presume you have raised crop on the
fruitful soil OF this territory through which
the international and Great Northern
rnirond runs and You live some three
o. fcrr or five miles. away from Your stiP
tion, and Just az the time Won arc ready
to market Your products neavy rains coma
and render your raw and unimproved road
way to your station practically impaSsa-
bic, can you take. advantage, Of the 90,
mands OF the markets TO which you and
the ether members Of yonr Fruit Growers
association are shipping In carloads J do
take advantage OF markets. nor arc yon In
position 70 garry out agreements made with
your fellow members Of your Fruit Grow
ers' association. and consequently. instead
Of realizing full prices and the full value
of all YOU grow, and being ready promptH
to meet any requirements advancing mar
kets might demand. you are tied hand aud
foot becauae Of the fact that YOU are
unable. with your equipment to get Ncr
your country road. and many men engaged
In raising vegetables and fruits suffer Sc
rious LOSSES annually by reason Of their
lack Of facilities in this regard, lnasmuch
as this Is, as before remI FIXED. SO import
ant 4 fnctor. mass meeting should he
held In each one of your counties and
determined and concerted effort made TO
put the question of good roads to your
railway stations and to your court houses
beyond all doubt.
Selling your commodities at your own
station and getting the cash for them he
fore they leave yop. rs a general rule,
nets you the best results. otherwise the
speculation which began when you FIRST
put On your seed lis continued clear through
after Your commodity Is loaded mn with
railroad frelghts and other expenses. which,
as A matter Of fact Is not a desirable
situation, Tho prices usually paid by buy.
ers at the home station are not MS a rule
apparently as high as the hgnres shown
in the market reports at the various points
Of consumption. such at St Louis Chicago
CINCINNATI, Cleveland. Pttsburg, hut You
should remember that there Is long dis.
tunce 90 travel from Texas tn these mar
kets, and sure money for your crop Ia
very much better than the speculative
chances Of meeting not only fair treatment
by the commission houses. hut satsfac-
tory market on arrival OF your cars at
destination.