The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-09-08
TEXANS LIKE LAPS
HAVE INTRODUCED HOME STYLE of
 RICE CULTURE
Turning to Fruit Now~-C1ose Aftachment to Native Backing Them, shown
 by Flying of Sun Flag.

" Eyhu& or SuU EIA&.
 
 Special to Philadelphia Record
 Webster. Texas.-Unlike California, Tex
 as Is glad to have Japanese within it's borders. It has half dozen colonies of the little brown men now, all SO industrious and peaceful that they are considered good citizens. Through them Oriental elements are being brought Into the agricultural methods of the state.
 The principal colonies are at Deep water. Webster. wharton and Victoria, and in all there are probably 500 Japs in the state. number of Japanese rice farmers are also located, along the line of the Southern Pacific between Houston and Beaumont. They are adopts at growing rice and other farm products. At Deepwater the Japanese method of transplanting rice has been followed for the last two years with the greatest success and profit.
 The rice harvesting season is now in progress. and the scene in the Japanese colonies is an animated onA from early morning until late in the evening. They conduct the harvesting work on the CO., operative plan, much the same as wheat harvesting is carried on in the Middle States of the North. All the Japanese Manners in the colony join forces and help thresh the crops on the different farms. The Japanese make . holiday out of the work. They appear to get much enjoyment out of everything they do.
 noticeable thing about the Japanese in Texas Is that they never lose sight of their patriotism for their native country. The Japanese flag always occupies a posi- tion of honor upon every farm. It may be seen flying upon the threshing ma chimes while the rice threshing work Is Tn progress. It is frequently planted upon some elevated spot in the field. where it is in constant view of the little brown men while they working.
 The Japanese colonists in Texas have many thousands of acres in rice this year. from the crop large.
 The home life Of the Webster and Deepwater colonists is very similar to that which they lead in Japan They-attend strictly to their own business =ffairs and seem to be more interested in their farm work then anything else The older col onies have succeeded well that the es- tablishment of number of others is con- tempiated. A number of Japanese bought several thousand acres of land near Whar- ton last spring and established a colony of so Japanese thereon. They rapidly developed the virgin land into the most attractive rice farms in the state. They had more than 5000 acres in rice this year. They were amply supplied with money from the start with which to carry out their plans. and extensive and costly improvements have been made, including an up-to-date system of irrigating canals and ditehes, comfortable residences barns and rice warehouses. They used traction engines as the motive power in breaking up the land The cultivation and harvesting of the rice crop were done with the most modern farm implements Their indus trious and law-abiding ways won for them the respect of the people of the section.
 The Japanese Farming Company is the name of an organization which was organ ized last spring. with 1 capital stock of $2oo. 600. for the purpose of establishing colony of Japanese near Victoria. The company is composed of Japanese. The colony will harvest Q large crop of rice this year.
 Some of the Japanese farmers are intro- ducing native fruits and vegetables into Texas. Y. Myuma. who has 8 large farm near Fannetta, planted q patch of his ground fin Japanese melons this summer as an experiment. The melons thriyed won derfulIy, ana now he has an abundant har- vest of them. The melons have been placed in the markets at Houston and Beaumont They attract much attention by their peculiar appearance. They are more on the order of a cantaloupe to size and taste but no one would judge them to be either a waternlon or q canta- loupe by their appearance. Mir. Myums claims that this section is well adapted to raisina~ many kinds of Japanese fruits and vegetables.
 These Texas Japs are not worried over Inc possibilities of war between the United | States and the native country. When one l if them can be induced to talk on the subE. | feet at all he hoots at the suggestion of war o. Takayams. who Is at the head of the Japanese colony at Deepwater. five | miles from Webster. made this proposition | when questioned as to the war prospects: | 'If war is declared between my country | md the United States at any time within | he next ten years I will suffer my head | .o be delivered to you on a platter"