The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-15

WON THE WORLDS PRIZE
AT EXPOSITION IN PARIS
Growing Wealth Of the State Is
Largely Attributed to This Fact
in Conjunction with It's Mild
and Healthful Climate. 4. !.
BY. HERBERT vAnDERHooF.

I BY. HERBERT vANDERHooF.
! To the stranger who travels through
Texas for the first time this Empire state
4 Is a land of wonderful revelations In
person actually traverses it from the Pan
1 Handle to the gulf, makes an Impression
on the mind which no amount Of descrip-
ton, no matter how vivid, could ever
give. We may all know that Texas
comprises 265,7S0 square miles, which,
excluding the water surface, gives her
larger amount than all the New England
states taken together, even larger than
! the middle Atlantic states, including New
York, Pennsylvania, Delaware New Jer-
I sey MARYLAND, Virginia, West Virginia
4 and the District Of CoIurnbia-we may
know these facts and yet the mind can
not grasp the full realization Of their
meaning until trip through Texas gives
an actual basis Of experience. ~.
Perhaps second only to it's wonderful
extent OF territory stands the marvellous
variety Of the soils of Texas. In It's geo.
logical formation lies the secret of its
i lying lands bordering on the gull to tho
sI great fLlano Estacado, the state IS marked
off in a succession Of gigantic terraces.
each having peculiar soil characteristics
i Of Its own. which; make it possible to
grow almost all Of the products of both
1 the temperate and the tropical zones.
Certain regions, not only on account Of
their SOIL but also because of their wa
ter supply altitude and climate, are Pc
l.culiarly fitted for the culture Of rice,
others for cotton, still others for wheat,
or truck farming, or fruit raising, but
yet there Is a large area where all Of
these products; with the exception Of
Central Texas, the very heart OF this
great state, ought to be one of the
i Southwest, for it certainly is most highly.
I favored by Dame Nature in climate,
soil and products. -. H.. .... 49, -.
i Well sWatered and HealthfuI.
Roughly speaking, central Texas ex-
tends from the Colorado river and Mont
through Johnson and Ellis counties on
the north, and from Llano, San Saba,
Mills and Comanche counties on this
west, to the Trinity river on the east.
The territory Is watered by the tributaries
great Brazos river and its streams in
the central portion, and by the western
tributaries of the Trinity on the east.
The average rainfall IS from thirty to,
forty inches, and healthful conditions are
is. characteristic of all this section. IN
climate it is equally favored, for there
is never g, day ini the year when it Is not
Epossible to work out Of doors. The Their
mometer rarely drops below 30 degrees in
the. winter, and only.,very occasionally
fsoars above IS degrees in the summer, The
spring and fall are long and especially
delightful7.13fn fact, the seasons melt one
into the other in such 2 gradual ! y way that
,Eit Is difficult to draw q line Of ,demarca-11
d'fhea'black land belt" famous for its
fertility extends nals,, through central Texas
tion Of the soil: Diversified farming is
very profitable because Of the wide range
OF crops-from cotton, wheat, corn and
other grains to forage plants, vegetables
and fruits, the yield is abundant. At the
government experimental farm, located
at Giddings, the county seat Of Lee couh- !
ty,t the soil Is being tried for the raising
Of a high grade Of fine cigar tobacco,
The seed has been carefully selected from
Cuban sources, and the results Of these
greatest interest; for tobacco culture
would add greatly to the wealth of CEN
trail Texas. ...: .-.. So -
The soil of Lee county is similar to that
Of many Of the other counties of central
timbered, but in the uplands the timber
is less dense. About one-twelfth Of its
area is high, rolling prairie. The soil Of
the farming land is a. sandy loan Of ,ex-
cellent quality, so there are many thriving
vegetable gardens and orchards with rows
Of berry bushes planted between the
trees. The chief source Of wealth. how
ever, is the cotton crop, which ranges
from one-half a bale to bale per acre.
shum have been most successfully :'t gro :7S
and ribbon cane flourishes on the bottom
lands. It is possible to purchase In Lee
county land which is unimproved, but
where the soil would be excellent for
per acre The improved lands bring
sums ranging from $40 to SIS per acre.
~. Il Worlds Prize for Soils.
EsAt the time of the Paris exposition
prizes were offered for specimens; Of soils
that were especially adapted to general
agriculture. Almost all Of the important
nations We're represented in this compett-
famous. fertile ). valleys OF the Nils.
Amazon anTs Yet 1T Vas hot a3 to one ehs
| Of these that the gold medal was
finally awarded, but to McLennan county
in central Texas It divides the great
sections The Brazos river flows through
the center Of the county from northwest
to southeast. And the soil Of the river
valley is a rich alluvial which is unsyr-
passed in fertility; Farther back from
there the soil is second to none In e the
state. not only for wheat and corn, but
for practically all farm products Of the
temperate zone. t,s =. q
i In 1905 this county alone contributed
100000 bushels of corn, 100000 bushels
of oats, and over 200, 900 bushels Of wheat
! to the agricultural wealth of the state,
! and. in addition to this fine record. there
were large quantities of millet, rye, bar
ley, maize, sorghum, and several other
kinds OF sugar cane, alfalfa and hay in
! almost bewildering variety Such dem
onstration as this of the fertility OF the
soil in McLennan county fully justffies
| the choice Of the French exposition
judges. 10
1 In The Austin District.