The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1908-10-29

r.,.e. $i.oe year. In advance.
seRMS'i Six Months, so cents.
to forty degrees in twenty-fonr hours.
In southern Texas the only winter ex-
perienced is brought by the norther,
which seldom lasts more than very
few days at time, and its disagreeable
effects are soon forgotten.
The district surrounding San Antonio
affords perhaps the most agreeable cli-
mate. There it is warm and dry dur
ing the greater part of the year but the
heat is not excessively intense, and the
nights are usually cooled by refreshing
breezes from the Gulf. With such eli.
matte conditions as these and natur-
ally fertile soil, it is not surprising that
the products of Texas are of almost
minute variety. In fact there is prsc-
tically nothing raised any where in the
United States which cannot be sue
cessfnlly grown in Texas. 1t is the
boast of the state that she could isolate
herself from the entire world and still
affora to the people within her borders
a comfortable aud contented living.
1t would be impracticable for me to
attempt to enumerats here all the
things that are raised or manufactured
in Texas so I shall spea of the princi-
pal ones only. Among these, cotton
ranks first, and in the production of
this fluffy commodity, Texas leads the
world, producing One-third Of all the
cotton raised IN the United States and
One-fifth Of the worlds supply.
Next comes the cattle industry, ana
if the state had no other claim to re-
nown she would still be famous as the
home of the "rexas Steer" Improve
ment in the breed has marked the
progress of this industry in Texas, anu
the eiong-h0rned steer, the monarch of
the Texas plains in years gone by, has
taken the trail to the great beyond
displaced by the modern ranch with Its
bIooded stock. Sheep, also, in vast
herds, sometimes numbering several
thousand. may be- seen thru the rolling
country il the western part of the
state.
Agricuiturally, Texas is wonder.
In many sections Of the state it is pos
sible to raise two crops Of corn every
year. About 25O00O0O bushels of
wheat are produced annually. aid,
! while the number of bushels of oats
raised ia Texas exceeds that of wheat,
still the wheat crop is the more vaina-
BILE Of the two. The sugar lands of
Texas are perhaps the richest in the
], United States, and in the production
, of sugar from cane. the state will,
doubtless, soon take first place. The
. greater part Of the state Is admirably
adapted to the growing of such fruits
I as apples, peaches, pears, apricots, etc.,
} aud sltho the fruit Industry 10 Texas
} is yet in its infancy, the possibilities
) for its development are practically un-
! limited.
Texas might also justly claim the
distinction Of being the greatest truck
) growing region in the world. Present
3 day transportation facilities enable the
farmers Of Texas to reach the Eastern
. market with their produce and many
: of them are becoming rich by truck
. farming. A new industry which is be-
;, ing developed with marked success, is
t the growing of rice in which Texas
Q now ranks first among the states. Rice
!: is the most profitable crop grown in
/ | America, aud as there are millions OF
: acres along the Texas coast line availa-
t Bile for rice culture, it seems reasonable
to predict that this industry will pros.
Q per. Many interesting facts about the
4 resources and industries Of the state
q must pass without mention here, but IL
addition to these, Texas has a past
Q and q history of unusual and surpass.
: ing interest. No other state in The
}, Union has experienced the varieties ir
0 government which have fallen to heI
g lot.
t The early history of Texas furnishes
9 many incidents common.Sto Spanist
Q colonization in other parts OF America
9 Under Spanish rule. Texas was in
q cluded in Mexico, and, by the war O
: 1809-1812, which resulted In Mexican
4. independence, Texas became part o
I the new Republic of Mexico. It va
q not until 1891, however, that the activ'
Z American coloniz stion Of Texas began