The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-17
EVERY CLIMATE AND
!. EVERY soil [ THERE.
Range Of Products in Texas Is
Not Restricted, but Embraces
the Crops Of the North as Well
as Those of the Tropics.
|IRRIGATION's GREAT WORK
IN THE SEMI-ARID REGIONS
Pecos Valley Furnishes a Good
Illustration of What a Little
Water, Properly Applied, Will
Do for the Soil.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The journal. II. ~ -s5 ~ So
Barstow, Texas, Nov 17.-Texans
proudly assert that in their great state a
person can find any climate he may want,
soil adapted to the growth of all agricul-
tural products, and place suited to al
most any kind of business or occupation.
Perhaps this Is rather too sweeping an
assertion, but it certainly has a very
large element Of truth in it, for on the
northern boundary Of the state the aver
age temperature Is Sc degrees, and from
that it gradually changes to the semi
tropical climate of the. gulf coast and the
Rio Grande valley. The soil Of the diff
that northern fruits and grains will thrive
and the staple products Of the southern
states yield most bountlfully, while
cities, towns and : country afford the
business. -''ta - s+t5. =
Texas is certainly offering unrivaled
opportunities to those who want to be
successful in life. Gradually, step by
step. the agriculturists and the city
builders are. advancing over the great
of open range, over valleys and hills, over
semi-arid districts and fertile plains.
The great cattle industry has assumed
new characteristics as these other. vast
changes nave U0SIl :SdfAl1lS pldCc, Out IL
stands today in more prominent posi-
ton than ever before and doubtless will
always be one of the greatest sources OF
wealth in the state. - Instead Of being
impaired by the advancement Of the ag-
ricultural interests, cattle raising has
been very much benefited by this growth,
for with an abundance Of grain, fodder,
and alfalfa close at hand, it is no longer
necessary to drive the herds to northern
states to be ,fattened. 81. -.
!. Where Cattle Still Reign.
. The western half Of the state still re-
mains chiefly in the hands of the cattle
men and those engaged in stock raising.
Although each year sees thousands upon
thousands of acres being put into cult
walton, and almost invariably it has been
found that land which will produce the
rich, nutritious grasses will also produce
grains, fruits and vegetables, so 1t is
undoubtedly only question of time
when the broad acres which can now be
bought at a trifling sum will be just as
valuable as the lands in the central and
eastern counties, where only. a few short
years ago the same conditions prevailed
as those which we now find in the west
ern section. ~. = ~.
The counties bordering on the Pecos
river have an especially bright future
before them, for conditions are so IA
vorable there, since the repeated tests
have made 1t clear to all who have. inves-
lack of insufficient moisture, wherever
that retards development. The valley
has an elevation of about three thousand
feet. and the air is clear, dry, and invig-
Grating. The summers are long and the
winters are mild, the. soil is rich and
fertile, and when irrigated it yields
abundantly. an 49,. j; =.
The Pecos river rises in New Mexico,
and after crossing. the, northern boundary
OF Texas it's valley lies between the
n0r1t of
and the Guadalonpe mountains on the
west, and is very irregular In width
Back from the river bottoms, on the east
ern side, the land is gently rolling
uriantly. Loving county, which lies "a,
the northern boundary line of the; state,
is very sparsely settled, and as yet unor-
ganized. but it is the grazing ground for
hundreds Of cattle and fine horses. Here
are to be found big stock ranches like
those which once were scattered all
through northern and central Texas.
Wealth Of the stockmen.
It would be difficult to estimate the
certainly must be a princely sum, and the
day is close at hand when their large
holdings of land will be far more valu-
able than they are at present, for the ag-
rlculturist has already begun to find his
way. into this section, and there. win be
an increasing demand for small farms
The region is, however, especially well
adapted to stock raising, and doubtless
this Will be: the chief source of wealth
even when the big ranches Of today arr
divided up into the smaller stock farms
ike those which are found in SO many
of the older counties Of the state.
Ward county lies south Of Loving coun-
ty and has several thriving towns. Bar
line Of the railroad which gives these ex-
IRENE western counties direct connection
with the eastern part of the state. al
Barstow and at Grand Falls twenty five
miles farther to the south, there are large
irrigation systems, which are being Oh.
Grated with the most pronounced success
BetWeen these two points, another system
IS now in process of construction, and
this will water a large area which is not
within reach Of the canals from the
On the irrigated lands near -Barstow
the returns from the cotton and alfalfa
nted have been most remarkable The
maximum yield Of cotton has been one
and three-fourths bales to the acre, and
the alfalfa has averaged five cuttings OF
one ton an acre to each cutting. Laying
to one side the consideration of these
facts from the standpoint of agriculture
interests, the Importance Of them to the
cattle and stock interest of this sector
can hardly be overestimated. Repeated
experiments have proved the great valu.
IT cotton seed meal and alfalfa in fatten.
ing live stock for market. Much finer re.
suits can be obtained from their use thar
from almost any other kind Of fat-pro.
duc1ng food, and, as one authority on cat.
tie raising stated recently, in commentins
on the rapid spread of the cultivation OF
both in the semi-arrid districts Of Texas
This may be justly considered blessins
to the cattleman:" -. -. ~. ~ =
Profitable Adjunct to Ranch,
He further says: farming, not at.
tempted with ranching in former DAYS
has become an allied industry, and its
Importance as a profitable adjunct to the
ranch is fully realized, and continues te
grow in favor" All along through the
Pecos valley counties, back from the
river, are fine grazing lands, and, as the
winters are so mild, the cattle do no,
need protection. In the hill country
some Of the best ranges in the state fo1
sheep and goats are to be found, anc
thousands of these animals are fattened
there every year. The entire section
seems to be very healthful for livestock
and, now that the fodder and alfalfa car
be grown so abundantly on the irrigated
lands near by the ranges there is moth
ing lacking to make this an ideal stock
raising country. It lies north Of the
quarantine line drawn by the United
States government, so there is no restric-
ton in the market for the cattle, and
top prices can be readily obtained.
There ara MANY prnnd two, sy,r,.to say