The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-11-12
SURPRISES IN THE
TEXAS PANHANDLE
COTTON, WHEAT, AND OTHER
CEREALS PROVE PROFITABLE

/. CEREALS PROVE PROFITABLE
Possibilities of Agriculture Under
Scientific Soil Culture Being
Demonstrated by H. w. Camp
bell>on Big Scale.
BY HERBERT, vANDERHooF.
= Special Correspondence. Sd
QUANAH, Texas, Nov. THE north
western section Of Texas, commonly
known as the Panhandle and the Plains.
an area in round numbers of 19, 600, GOO
acres. has more surprises in store for
tendertoot than any other section OF this
great state. The prevailing Impression
or this seclon among people or the North
ana East Is that 1t Is & DarrGn waste. Tno
writer's Impression of this part Of the
word before the present trip, gathered
several years ago on All overland Journey,
was that OF vast desert waste, inhabited
by prairie dogs. Others again nave
thought 1t section given up TO cattle and
the cowboy, and the mental picture of tho
ports about his dare -deviltry and his mis-
treatment OF the settlers who dared to
encroach upon his domain. Many OF these
reports emanated from the cattle men
themselves, who wished to retain control
or this vast range, and. lthe1 etore, pur-
posely spread these tales abroad.
The daredevil cow5oy andcattle man,
II he ever were a reality, issnow Of the
past, as is lifelong horned Texas steer Of
0Grn t1e.,% = s1oso
TO IPortales. N. NJ, | had the pleasure Of
meeting and converstng witha cattle man
OF the present day CIV. H. Morris OF Por-
tales, who has a 100000 acre cattle
range some miles West<of Portales. II
all the cattle men are of the same type
there Is not more gentlemanly body Of
men anywhere: One Of the gentlemen OF
our party brought forth a bottle of the
beverage for which Kentucky is noted,
and asked us to join him, but our friend
the. cattle man would have none Of 1t.
This refusal shattered theSlast remnant
OF a, long entertained mental picture of
q cattle man, of the long hair, disheEeled
appearance, pistols. and penchans for
whisky type.
Cattle Grades Improved.
My conception of the cattle raised on
the Western plains also proved to be an
Illusion. Instead Of raw boned, long
horned, i'll kept cattle, was shown herds
of high bred Herefords in the pink of con-
dition.
Whatever the Panhandle of days gone by
may have been, and 1t Is needless to enter
into the details of its past history, it is
today one OF the most promising sections
OF the Southwest. There are millions OF
acres Of splendid land adapted every.
where to the raising Of abundant crops 81
kaff1r corn, milo, MAIZE, sorghum, ant
millet, which make the best fodder OBJ.
tainable anywhere, and large tracts scat.
tered about the country are adapted to the
raising Of cotton, wheat, oats, barley, an;
rye Z ~ s )
3, The cotton crop is a marked success i,
many sections of the lower plains. II
the sections around Quanah and Memphis
Texas, about ESQ miles northwest from
Fort Worth. this years cotton crop viii
average half bale, or ESQ. pounds, to til
acre, which is being marketed at 10 cent:
pound. This cotton crop, coupled will
a most luxuriant yield of the fodder crop.
D., already MENTIONED, brings the tiller o
come.
In the sections not adapted to cottor
raising, among which, and worthy o
%promin ent mention, are the sections sur
rounding Canyon City and Dalhart, tn,
forage crops and wheat, OATS, barley
rye and cattle are the source of fine in
come. 1t is impossible to get correc
. idea of the luxuriant growth of the forag,
crops from description.in cold type
One must see the fields and the tropica
density Of the crops to appreciate tn
astonishing yield -. - Il Z
. ~, Corn and Wheat Crops
Indian corn has thus far not been raise
to any extent, but oats, barley, and ~
bring an abundant yield in nearly all sec
tlons given up to cultivation, and whea
is successfully grown in many places
Experts on the agricultural possibility
IN the Panhandle declare that wheat ca
f. De grown successfully most, everywher
with proper cultivat ion. The successful
growing of Indian corn is more douhtf,
because it cannot withstand the hot spell
and. recover after they are over, like tn
other crops. But good crops of India
corn have been grown in various sections
and proper handling of the soil will d
much toward making the growing of tn
crop a success. -.
Farming in the Panhandle is in it's ir
fancy. Vast tracts of lands are owne
by land syndicates and spectators, an
the state controls millions Of acres
school lands, and only small part
Fl these vast tracts isfunder cultivation.
The state is now disposing Of it's holC
iRgs to smaller holders, as are the synd
Gates and spectators, many of who1
= are : putting part, If not all, Of the
holdings under cultivation, but most
these holdings are four section or large
tracts. One hundred and sixty acre farm
are. unknown here, and years will go (
before small farms will be common Vi
improved and partly improved land Is no
4 sold for $3.50 to $40 per acre, and choic
@ highly improved lands bring SIS to SCI
VI dependent upon their proximity to tt
. cities. In the sections adapted to fru
raising, lands with orchards bring $40 q
acre even at some distance from tt
towns. vast triangular tract east
>the Pecos valley is attracting much q
= tention. The central part of this sectic
is said to be very fertile. The absence
railroads has held this section in I'll
background, but this handicap will soc
, be removed.
Extension of Railway Lines.
:. It is rumored that the Choctaw line
the Rock Island, extending from Men
phis, Tenn, to Amarillo, Texas, will soc
be extended west and south.
This great railroad traversing the Pal
: handle in almost every direction, mu
soon make this one of the best settled Sc
T tions in the state.
H. W. Campbell Of soil culture tan
has under way on an extensive scale
practical demonstration of what can
accomplished in this section by farmi1
scientifically. There are two Campbe
farms In the Panhandle, one of $40 acr,
at Farwell and one at Wantland TIL
farm Is also near the New Mexico horde
but about a hundred miles south of Il
T'arwell farm.
Two hundred acres were broken on eac
:. farm this Sncing and this ground has hsf