Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1908-01-16

IeXaS, comparable IN beauty ana
rarity with the giant redwoods
of California, for che final secur-
ing and preservation of which, in
one grove, the Legislature of that
State has recently appropriated
a quarter of a million dollars.
These Texas palms, like the
redwoods, are found only in that
one habitat. Their numbers are
now dwindled to a mere handful
of stately beauties, and even
these will doubtless soon be sac
rificed.
Fortunately this palm is very
hardy, and specimen trees are
now planted in northern cities of
the State, with no injury from
cold, though many years old. One
in Main Plaza, San Antonio, is
said to be over half century
old. 1t far surpasses in hardi-
ness the eastern palmetto of the
Florida cost, besides being so
much handsomer and richer in
foliage and form. It is a palm
every Texan should take a spec
ial pride in planting in his own
grounds and on public squares,
parks and avenues. And every
one should lend an earnest effort
to some plan to secure forever to
public ownership at least a Dor
ton of this priceless grove.
Results come quicker with
palms than from almost any
class of trees, and no tree or
plant gives such effect at so little
cost and care as palms. Nothing
gives such beauty and grace,
combined with tropic luxuriance.
His pruning is known as the me-
dium pruning system. His trees
were set four years ago. I no
ticed that some of his trees were
not pruned at all and that he
had truck growing between the
rows. Close. examination show
ed that the trees not pruned had
less fruit than the ones pruned.
j. H. Smith has followed non
pruning and medium pruning.
However, he is convinced that
pruning is necessary and now
follows the medium pruing sys-
tenn.
DEPRESSING for a moment from
our subject, will say that this
section is a beautiful level prai-
rie, rendered more beautiful by
the cape jasmine, This beauti-
full and fragrant flower is scat
tered from one end of the United
States to the other by the Alvin
Z florists. I once saw a field Of
twenty acres in full bloom, and
it is a common sight to see fields
Of from one to three acres.
Our last stop was at the love.
} ly home of the Misses Cook anc
Cook. These young ladies in.
cooks" and proved it by pro
ducing some as fine cake as
have ever eaten. Here we founc
a dozen or more bright boys ant
girls busily engaged in packing
! and getting ready to ship thu
cape jasmine buds. Alvin take,
the lead in this pleasant anc
profitable industry.
While at the Farmers Con
gress | met r. w. Holbert, indus
!. trial agent of the j. G. Carpen
ter Fig Company, headquarters
J at Houston, Texas. In speaking
on this subject he tells me tina
from 1891 to 1898 very few fl,
: orchards were planted, but abou
} this time a few small grower
saw that money could be mad
by preserving the fruit and ship
ping it to the far north, as thi
could not be done with the fresl
fruit owing to the perishabl
(, qualities of it. At Alvin, how
] ever, where the magnolia fig i
: almost exclusively grown, MI
: Coye tells me that one commits
:. sion house in Houston buys al
e his figs fresh and he cannot sup
e uly the demand. Hr. HOLDER
: further tells me that the deman,