The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-11-10
FRUIT AND TRUCK GROWING in TEXAS.
Closer Relationship Between the Farmer
and The Railroads.

! farmer ia divers ways They are In
Icxas. where agriculture ia tue leading In
| try and success 81 the farmer. They are
IN sense his partners, and II their agents
| and Officers give their best thou5aht and
! energies to the promotion OF his interests
| they are serving their own interest as
| wen, Through the railroads valuable In
brought. to the farmer, and many obstacles
| which he alone could not surmonnt are
removed. Furthermore, the success OF tho
| farmer is in measure dependent upon the
railroads. In order to place his products
/ on the market to the best advantage he
must have hrst.class freight facilities, and
| can supply such facilities and such serv-
| ices unless II s prosperous. The service
rendered by crippled railroad must he
| crippled horse. The farmer can and ought
70 assist the railroads hy demonstrating
| cause In the hrst place Il immediately In
| creascs his prosperity, and in the second
| place because the settlement Of the coun-
try. sure g, speedily follow such demon
! stratlon, will again benefit him by lncreas-
! Ing the value OF farm property and by
| bringing all the advantages social. educa-
| populous community affords. The part
! which the railroads have to perform In
| this scheme az reciprocity has already
been sufficiently Indicated what the
| farmer can do and ought to do is 20. avail
himself OF the opportunities which are
! presented for him 10 render his farming
| operations more profitable. and TO use HIS
| Influence to induce his neighbors to Co
! operate with him and with the railroads
In working with the farmers In an
| effort to Increase our prosperity ny In.
creasing theirs. the company which
have the honor TO renresent has pursued
well defined and carefully considered
| policy. We have endeavored through our
| officials and through our expert employees
| 10 bring TO the attention OF farmers new
! methods or Farming and new crops which
gave promise OF profitable results. We have
| endeaYored to learn what crops would
Yield tho greatest returns in the various
sections, aud have assisted. wherever nee
Cssary, In bringing To the farmers the
| special knowledge necessary to successes In
these ventures We have assisted the
Farmers In the various communities to Or
ganl1e for cooperative effort. and have
encouraged the Interchange of idcHs
! amongst them, We have at all times
/ substantially encouraged the holding OF
! Horticultural aud truck growers meetings.
aud have Professionally Advocated the work
/ OF our Agricultural ana Mechanical cot
lege and the agricultural experiment sta
lions We have established new stations
/ Tor the convenience OF fruit aud truck
growers. aud have spared neithcr labor or
expense 10 get their products to good mar
I kets quickly and safely. We have col
lecied data concerning the agricultural In
dustries IN the country served by our line
and have given the information wide pub
( ltcitv In printed form and through our
special representatives. We have expended
great denl Of money and effort 10 IN
duCc people to come to Texas and settle
along our lines and the results IN that
respect have already been gratifying We
have let it be known that we stood ready
/ at all times TO aid the farmers and To
promote the interest Of our country IN
; every legitimate md reasonable way.
While the expenditures 81 the company
I'm carrying out this scheme Of reciprocity
( have been large, tho results thus FAR
! demonstrate the wisdom Of the manage
ment IN adopting n broad policy NJ de-
velopment md looking TO the future for
( reward. The cost Of the work aud Of
the service rendered has Outlines heen I'm
! excess Of the Immediate returns; hut the
/ company has secured the indisputahie eyl-
dence that tho country trayersed by It's
line is capable Of supporting n large popu.
lation and making IL prosperous. This evil
| dence assures the early settlement Of the
country and the consequent prosperity of
the railroad and II Is therefore, worth all
the money and effort that has been ex-
/ indeed, the rest Of the people along the
! line OF the Houston Fast and West Texas
/ railway are working with ne In the closest
| relationship, and arc thoroughly convinced
! that the management wants them 10 PROS
| per The officials Of our company are we'll
! known by the people along the line and
are looked upon as friends.
TEXAS VAST AGRICULTURAL IN
TERESTS.
| l am partial to East Texas; look upon
II as the most promising portion Of the
! State and I believe that within n very
| few wears 81 will he thickly populated
and highly prosperous. sim, I recognize
the value Of other parts of the state and
| the efforts which other railroads are max
I ing TO develop their resources. Intelligent
/ co-operation between the railroads and the
| farmers throughout the State will produce
marvellous results within the next de
/ cadc. Both the farmers and the railroads
| have already been directly benefited as
| the result OF such cooperation, and the
| State as a whole has mude material and
! substantial progress. Texas Is moro pros
! porous than ever before In her history,
and certainly better able than at any pre-
vious time 10 Withstand the consequences
| Of an unfavorable season, Not only that.
! but the evidence long wanted and abso-
! lutely necessary to the success OF efforts
! 10 populate the state, has been secured,
! The tide OF immigration has already
turned to Texas; the railroads have re-
| Gently adopted broad and comprehensive
! plans designed 10 increase the flow; the
/ State has been and will be eXtensiyely adj.
| vortised; unprecedentedly low rates have
! been offered 10 homeseekers and settlers,
| and we may rely with confidence upon
I n large increase In the farming population
! of Texas at an early date. We may also
! congratulate ourselves upon the character
! ~ population which Is coming to Texas.
| The evidence which we are now able TO
/ produce concerning the prOhtablcucss or
farming in this State commands the at
| perienccd farmers In the older States, and
| when they come to Texas, as they are
! coming every day, we are getting Eooa
! citizens who will make a success Of farm
Ing aud who win contribute 70 the general
( prosperity.
Let every farmer In Texas feel assured
| that the railroads desire 10 cooperate with
! him. Let us know your wishes and we
I will try 10 meet them. Let us all work
/ together I'm promoting our common intor-
ests. and we shall not only achieve success
| for ourselves as individuals but we will
make Texas. In our own day and time,
/ the greatest, richest and most prosperous
! state in the Union
Cooperation in Truck Farming.
Paper read before the meeting Of the
South Texas Truck and Fruit Growers
association held at Becville on october
IS and %. 1902, by S. p. Benton Of Bee
willie:
Mr.. President. Ladies' and Gentlemen;
do not feel that It is within my providence
70 say Just how and under what terms and
conditions the truck growers should CO.
operate aud hope my paper Will not be
/ construed rs advice, but rather an attempt
1 to point out some OF the conditions under
| which cooperation may be possible.
The demand for vegetables by the non
producing classes is almost unlimited pro
I a -nf aaIrt no