The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1904-10-20
crop Possibilities in Texas
Judge jerome l.. Van Derwerlicr. Of Lufi;
in Southern Farm Magazine.

y
in Southern Farm Magazine.
Texas contains 2G5,660 square
miles, or an area of 1860 square
miles greater than the combined
area of New York, Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Illinois and Iowa, and
greater than that of France or
the German empire. We state
this TO give you an idea of the
immensely of Texas. The rain
fall ranges from less than TO-
inches at Ell Paso, the extreme
western point Of the State, to
over 80 inches at Lufkin, in the
central eastern portion of the
State, distance of over 500
miles apart.
Angelina county is in the center
from the north to south of the
famous fruit belt of Central East
/ Texas, of which the altitude is
from 25O to 700 feet.
The prevailing feature Of Cen
tral East Texas is stately forests
of fine lumber pines which cover
the uplands, except where cut out
/ by the mill men and put into cul-
/ tlvation, Of which about one-half
/ the area is cut over, aud about
| 10 per cent. Of these cut-over
lands have been put into cultiva-
ton, II portion of which are IN
truck farms, berry and fruit or
berry orchards. Skirting the
streams are forests of oak, elm,
maple, gum poplar, hickory, wal
nut, magnolia, holly, cypress and
other species of valuable forest
trees. Numerous species of beau
tiful Towering shrubs and per-
ennials grow profusely among the
rich underground of the rich for
ests. Many of the forest trees
bear beautiful blossoms and flow
ers.
The climate is neither Cypress
lively hot in the summer or per-
ishingly cold in the winter. The
avecage annual temperatures of
Central East Texas are almost
identical with the favored section
of California. The following
average annual temperatures will
show how genial is the tempera-
ture of Central East Texas Jan
uary, 80 degrees; February, As
degrees March, SO degrees April,
IS degrees; May, 20 degrees;
June, y degrees; July, So de-
grees; August, so degrees: Sep
tember,, y degrees; October, 60
degrees; November, 80 degrees !;
December, Is degrees.
The nearness of the great body
of warm water of the Gulf of
Mexico and the altitude of the
section are the reasons for the
equitable t g III p natures, the
cloudless skies, the salt-sprayed
breezes of the Gulf and the alb
sence of shocking changes in the
atmospheric conditions. II h ere
is hardly n section of the country
that has so many beautiful days
of sunshine as has Central East
Texas, and sunshine is the first
cause of growth, the most power
full antiseptic, n staunch friend of
life and a deadly enemy to fungi,
miasma and decay generally.
Central East Texas is a beau
tiful country, with a gentle roll
ing surface, we'll watered with
clear springs, swift-howing brooks
and rivers, and practically the
whole country is susceptible to
cultivation. There is a diversity
of soils, the sandy loans, red
and chocolate soils predominant.
ing in the uplands, with a red
clay subsoil, while the bottom
lands are a heavy black loan.
Central East Texas is ideal for
the culture of all classes of vege.
tables, berries, fruits and nuts.
Strawberries, blackberries, dew
berries, grapes, plums, hickory
nuts, pecans, walnuts and many
varities of other fruits and nuts
are native to the soil of Central
East Texas. One has to take a
short walk in the forest to see
numerous grapevines ranging
from three to six inches in diam
eter and covering forest trees from
so to 100 feet in height.
Strawberries, blackberres, dew
berries, grapes, pears, peaches,
, plums and apples are cultivated
on large commercial orchards.
While it has been long known
that potatoes, tomatoes, straw
berries, peaches and plums rlpen
earlier in Central East Texas than
in California, Mississippi and
, Georgia, still it was not until
about seven years ago that ship.
, ments of either truck or fruit
were made in car load lots which