The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-08-19
RlRMINeHAM To MEXICO.

BIRMINGHAM TO MENlCOs
 On Sunday, July si. left Birmingham for a trip to southwest Texas and Mex ico, going by way of St. Louis and the territories. want to write of few things observed on this trip. Among them will be something about the coun- try travelled over. people. crops, etc. want, however, to notice the general con dition of crops over quite an extended area.
 The Crops.
 Our readers. of course, are most inter ested in their home crops of Alabama and I am glad to be able to report thai north Alabama crops are f1ne' All '"' way up from Birmingham north across the state, all crops are fine and the cot' ton crop exceptionally so. The rains had been about right, evenly distributed, and not too much rain up to that time
 Grass for stock was also plentiful, | green. fresh and abundant. Of fine stock water Alabama always has sufficient quantity. The cotton crop is not only excellent along the Louisville and Nash vile. but in other parts of the state also, and especially so along the Frisco, where | the crop was never better.
 Tennessee crops, too, are fine-never better. We reached Nashville at dark, and so crossed Kentucky in the night and did not get to see the crops, but was informed that they, too, had unusually good crops of corn and tobacco. Day | light found our train in the great rich | corn state of Illinois, where the crop is more uneven-some very fine, some medi- um, some badly cultivated and much late corn. Upon the whole the crop is below an average, and the same conditions pre- vail in Missouri, Kansas, Indian and OK lahoma territories The crop in Texas and Louisiana is practically made and is unusually fine above an average. While as stated, the corn crop is rather uneven in the corn growing states, yet I should not be willing to vary much from my report of July 1, for there is a large acreage. The weather Is now fine for development, and with few more weeks of good weather we will have 1 a great crop of corn.
 Concerning Cotton Estimate.
 The cotton crop Is more uneven, if possible, than the corn crop, and since this trip I am little shalsy as to my July 1st estimate of 100000 bales being realized; and while I would rather lower than raise the iestimate, yet I will hold to my July report until 1 see what the weather for the snext four weeks will bring.
 The crop in the east Is better than it is in the west. Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama all have fine crops, though some sections of these states report too much rain for the crop. The fine pros pect as presented in my July report for Texas is not holding out There Is too much late cotton, which has to depend largely on a late fall for making a crop. Again, in the rainy belt there is quite a loss in stand from cleaning the crop. Then the roots rot. Boil worm and boil weevil are all getting in their work fast now. As stated am little shalxy on the outlook, and will not be surprised to hear later of a considerable lowering of estimates.
 Later.-Since I commenced to write this I have travelled over 500 miles, through the richest cotton country in the world, and I am now more fully convinced that we are to hear something drop before October as to the yield this season. It is well to be optimistic as long as the situation will justify, but now believe that nearly all former reports place the crop too high. As stated, the conditions rain, boil worms, boil weevil leaf cat apillers, root-rot-these are all having a discouraging influence.
 Hay and forage crops of all kinds are fine. Grass is generally fine and stock all looking we'll
 | The peach crop, though large, fell short | of expectations. The apple crop will be | very short and of poor quality in the | west.
 Corpus Crlsti and Brownsville. | Both of these towns are enjoying quite n hnn t.,h .aft, f,, IttfIl The new railroad now open, the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico railroad has greatly stimulated all lines of trade in l this section.
 This road, of which I wrote in May, is now open from Corpus to Brownsville, though part of 1t is yet in the hands of the contractors. There was such a rush of travel that the company had to put on their passenger trains to accommo- date the people.
 This road is frst-class in every re- spect. Builded at the start for heavy traffic 1t has fine road bed, almost as steel, and all the equipage is modern and up to date. The coaches are finely fin ished throughout and are models of | beauty, as we'll as ease and comfort. The engines are all new and of latest | improved pattern for burning oil. The amount of travel over this new unfinished line is a great surprise. Our readers will remember that I made trip over this section last spring and wrote up same for our paper. At that time there was not house to be seen on the line, nor furrow had never been plowed, but now how changed. Towns are springing up the chief of which is Kngsville, which has now a fine new brick depot, | tile roof and strictly modern In every re- | spect. Round house. brick yard offices, l stores, dwellings, streets are all laid out. fields and gardens cleared and fine artesian wells furnishing an abundance of fine soft water for stock for irriga- | tion and for town use.
 | Now substantial modern stations have | been built all along the line. The sound of the saw and the hammer Is to be heard now from Corpus Cristi to Browns vile, all showing the usual western spirit of enterprise and push.
 Brownsville has at last awakened from her long, deep sleep, ad has taken on new life. and new buildings are going up, new enterprises coming in and all is changed now to life and activity The trains are yet something new and people come in hundreds to see the train come in. The train I went in on had four or five hundred people. mostly Mexicans, waiting to see it.
 There is no station yet at Brownsville. but the material is on the ground and | fra cfa will ha