The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-02-10
Forty Bushels Of Wheat to the
Acre and Cotton at a Bale and
a Half Are Not Uncommon in
This Garden Spot, the Dallas
Region.
MAKES SURE CONTINUED
GROWTH OF CITY ITSELF
Town Is the Market Place Of One
Of the Richest Agricultural Dis
tricts in the World Facts
About the Charmed Circle
.RY HERBERT vANpERHooF

BY HERBERT VANDERHoOF.
To the man who travels across the |
s'charmed CIRCLE Of northern Texas and |
who knows the fertile soil and abundant |
crops of the vast stretches Of rich lands
which form the trade territory of Dallas |
the growth Of that city is not surprising. |
He realizes that its present prosperity |
and future development are natural and |
necessary results of certain conditions.
He learns that in this garden spot forty |
bushels of wheat to the acre is no un-
common yield and cotton at bale and
half is nothing out of the ordinary.
And he concludes that Dallas is the
market place Of one of the richest agri-
cultural districts in the world.
Therefore it must grow" he declares.
Nothing on earth could have kept it
from being big city and nothing can
keep it now from being a bigger one
"Pulllng the Long Bow"
Here follows conversation which
overheard one night in the lobby of the
Oriental, Dallas biggest and best hotel.
Two cotntrymen We're talking, both were
ing the companionship OF the other.
1T takes a lively man to pant melons
down our way" said one, looking very
.'Why?" asked the other
| Because when you stick a seed in
the ground, If you don't run like q scared
before you can hit the fence"
The other man did not finch.
| Melons do grow kinder fast down
your way, 80 I've; heard" he said but
| we've got you skinned to death on egg
plant out our way
| Nope, Size. One OF our egg plants
would fill bushel measure and three or
/ ma -
| There is not much in the yarn but
it only goes to show that even fiction
assumes robust proportions in Texas. e.
/ Here Are Facts, Not Fiction.
/ have explained in an earlier article
| that the charmed circle" so called
is the 100 mile radius Of Dallas COM
prising in Its boundaries thirty-four whole
counties and parts sof five counties of
Texas, besides a small portion Of the
Indian Territory 1t contains 100000
inhabitants or 3s per cent Of the ! to daa
grown about half of@Texas cotton crop.
half Of the crops Of wheat, oats, fruits
and vegetables, about one third Of the
corn crop and large part Of the hay
crop. .sE2 = Il rs -
TO show the diversity of opportunities
awaiting the Northern settler, let me
take Wise, eounty,x lying little north
nast Of aPpn IS o ms n e
dom, but it will illustrate the charaete,
Of the country admirably: Decatur. tbs
a s9aan{ 1eo aas et1 81 Daas sG
county IS about { 50, o6O,, and there j:
abundant room for five times that many
a 4 belt Of woodland known Is the Up.
per Cross timbers,. consisting Of oak II
several varieties, black walnut. pecan
cottonwood and elm. occupies about hal
!, the area Of the county, and the improved
parts Of the other half are given ovel
. to grain growing and truck and stool
farming.
.s@RIg Ranches Disappearing.
Not long ago this last mentioned in
t dustry was the chief OCCUPATION of tht
but now the public is coming to know
the real opportunities waiting here, ane
the large ranches are fast being divided
, corn, melons and all feed stuffs are being
I raised in an abundance surpa ssing tn
: most sanguine expectations And thes
conditions tons, with low priced lands, ar
The general elevation Of Wise Wise Count,
e is about 1850 feet above sea level, AM
the surface for the most part is undu
:, walton the purest Of drinking water an
s you, have conditions producing genera
e lgood health all che year round. TIL
rainfall for years has averaged abou
: The tenacio5uy black, waxy soils i
:. the eastern part ofSthe county are give
- over to grain. growing. This waxy so
d tility and drought resisting properties
and the wheat and oats grown therei
z rank high Corn and cotton are ais
i produced, but. never so successfully a
z the different varieties Of sandy soils pre-
= sent admirable opportunities for the di
If versifcation Of crops:
Settlers, APE Needed
Ell Not long ago the chief emigratio
i. agent Of one Of the Texas railway com
D. panies showed me a51etter from Dr. s.
- of Agriculture, wherein DR.. Knapp com
- pared north Texas with other section
Il of this country which are now open
ar settlers and homeseekers. The lette
a. was serious in it's tone.
er There is sufficient and reliable fu
< on every farm" he wrote. Lumber an
q building material are cheap an
two crops at least can e be raised the san
W and abundant material for housing stoe
is at hand. In fact hese scohdiiic
are far superior Texas TO the 4looaHtit
- WHICH, these Settlers tA have formerly r,
=, :, sided. II the facts in regard to Texa
~ the quality Of the soil, the abundant rail-
a the aire and t hsabf5 e ths o
n, brought to the attention of the poop
It. in the Northern states in plain al
il substantial way without exaggeratfon,
am satisfied that Texas will get all Il
- people she may require-people wit
~ means who will build homes and who w
:, help to develop the country
- Horn Of Plenty on End.
il Dr. Knapp asks that the facts fns
= be told plainly and without exagger:
= ton. This it is my mission to do, al
s. from the numerous letters which Il ha'
IS, been receiving and which I am ansWe
F. ing In this series of letters on Tex
ns it would appear that my readers fe
2 that am attempting conscientiously
0 fulfill this mission.
In fact, it would be difficult to .exa
4 gerate'' when talking about Texas croI
ed The horn of plenty must have been sto
he on end when Texas was created. The
dy Is an abundance Of everything that max
10 for success in farm life. Alfalfa gro,
/; ing, for instance, was recently introduc
- In north Texas and last year four Gro
q Of alfalfa hay were harvested in o
Eic section, and after the fourth. In. t
;ly so-called winter, cattle We're turned in
1T. fatten on the stubble. ass
at Life here is worth living. Nothi
lie, is wanting, either to rural or to. urb
az perfection. With schools and colleg.
homeseeker from the north cab set
81 himself in this new country Witho
ep- having to face any OF the privationy a
rs. dangers that the early prairie phone
on could not escape. He.slmply changes ]
"a old surroundings for new ones, at lee
as good to begin with and certain to
~ bet err later and without losing .tOu