The log cabin Democrat., 1906-08-23
FROM A TEXAS READER
]. C. Riggs, Formerly of This County
 Writes of His New Home

Editor Log Cabin Democrat:
 I have many dear friends i'll Faulkner county who 1 know would not consider 1t any burden to read few lines from an old Arkansas boy. I came to Com merce March 10, since which time I have been in Hunt, Collin, Cray son, Fannin, Lamar, Red River, Van Zandt, Kaufman and Tender son counties. The last three men toned are more or less of a sandy nature; the others are black waxey and black sandy soils, while here and there are found a few lighter sandy farms, with more or less timber. From these sandy farms the black lands are usually supplied with fruits, vegetables and an endless supply of sweet po- tatoes. The black and black san dy farms grow corn, cotton, millet, sorghum, alfalfa, wheat and oats. Irish potatoes do we'll and seldom need any fertilizer. This same soil will also grow peas and beans, while most other garden vegeta- bles do not do so we'll. The sandy farms will produce anything that can be produced in Arkansas ex- cept apples. While the produc- tion of corn and cotton are usually much lighter on these sandy soils, the advantage of other things en- ables the "sand-lapper' to make about as much clear money as the "mud-splasher. ,
 Farming in Texas is much easier than in the eastern states on ac count of the use of improved ma chinery and the smoothness of the land. The hoeing is a much cas- fer task here as there is usually lit tie or no grass of any kind on the black land. The cotton when planted in good condition usually comes up nicely with the ground clean and remains so, if properly plowed, except foulness from cockleburs, which one hoeing gen. orally destroys.
 All the corn that was planted in early spring has now matured a fairly good crop and will yield from 20 to 40 bushels per acre, except few fields that I have seen that will make much less.
 The enormous acreage of cotton will average from 5 to 5 feet in height, we'll loaded with fruit and matured bolls, mixed and mingled with all kinds of doubt and fair ly good supply of worms. With rain every day, no one can say what the outcome will be, but should the crop go through safely and the people get help to gather it you will find crop equal to 1900 when the whole state almost turned to cotton. But should tue present rains continue while longer, I am told, 1t will cause an increase in worms and other pests that will likely reduce the pros pected yield materially and in very short time.
 Farm lands in the black belt usually bring from $50 to SToo pei acre, and the distance from town does not cut any figure in the case at all. This is a great trading country. Merchandise is traded for land and land for merchandise. If a man has farm and wants to trade for stock of goods he is ac- commodated on short notice. Men are coming and going in all direc- tions. People from the eastern states are coming here and people here are going on west Lands here are being traded for western land, and when a westerner gets a farm here he counts it better than bank stock, and yet these people trade.
 Farm improvements here are usually very good, considering the high price of building material. Rough lumber is from S2. so to s. .oo per hundred feet and other lumber in proportion. Pine shin gles are used and I understand