Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-06-13
TEXAS STREAMS
POINT THE WAY
SETTLERS FLOCK TO LAND OF
UNLIMITED WATER
LOW COST OF CITRUS ACREAGE
OFFERS INDUCEMENTS
Forty.Ineh Rainfall In coatsal Country
and ArtesIan Supply Place
Region Among Safe
investments

If one will take down the map OF
Texas and note the numberless large
streams of living water that flow from
their everlasting fountain springs 10
the gulf one cannot fail but know why
that state is attracting wide attention
among persons in III parts of the couh-
try who are looking for future homes
and for profitable land investment EN-.
For the DEVELOPMENT of California mas
fully demonstrated that water in never
failing supply, combined with 1ertlIe
soil and proper climate make MONIES
and land values.
Forty inches of rain in the coast belt
makes irrigation unnecessary, Wills
thirty inches in the intercoastal pel''
hacked by an abundance of pure arte-
sian water, gives Texas rich, Wen
watered territory as large as the ehtlre
state of California, and practlcally
every foot cultivatable and adapted u
the growing of oranges, lemons hSs'
grapefruit and so forth:
try to attract the attention of home
seekers is the Cotulla section in the
southwest. the home of he Burmuda
onion, where the poor man with MS
general truck farming is making more
money than he had ever dreamed pos
double the Southern California rainfall
he has the local streams to fall back on
for more water, if needed, as well as
underneath at trif1ing depth, never
failing supply. And deeper down ne
has a great force of artesian water in
never-ending quantities.
Great Stock Country
Ever since the days of Spanish occu-
nancy this territory has been consld-
cred the best stock grazing county IN
the state on account of the many
streams of pure water. The Nueces
river. for instance, is one of these, me-
andering as it does across LaSalle
county on it's course to the seas. being
fed by no fewer than seven separate
streams which never fail with their
quota of life-giving fluid.
By reason of these always reliable
supplies of water citrus growers IRON
the California and Florida sections
are turning their attention to these
lands. which are yet purchasable at
about one-tenth of the cost of citrus
lands in the older countries and also
owing to the fact that the Texas or
ange natures something like TWO
months earlier than either California
or Florida. This gives them practically
their own prices on the fruit which is
ready for the Thanksgiving table.
The industry, while almost in Its in
fancy, is rapidly Transforming the cat
tie ranges of the coastal belt into Valu-
able orange orchards, raising the price
of lands from 500 an acre to as high as
$1,000 an acre, and there are now $500
acres of the Satsuma variety which will
be in full bearing within the next two
years, more than 500, 900 young trees
having been sold by the nurserymen
during 1905
Crop Finds Ready Market
Thus far the local markets have
eagerly bought up the entire Texas or
ange crop at good prices, enabling the
owners of the orchards now in bearing
to realize from $500 to $500 an acre
profit though in some exceptional cases
$1,000 has been had, and as the yield
increases with the new acreage the Sat
sumas will win a ready welcome
throughout the north and east, and the
growers have the double advantage of
an early crop and short haul to the
market, as compared with other sec
tions.
The South Texas fruit grower has an
other very profitable product in the
Magnolia fig, which, owing to climatic
conditions is practically limited 20
their section of the country, as it is
there that it grows to it's greatest per-
lection. The regular California fig
adapted for drying flourishes along the
Lower Mo GIdIlu6 anu III lIG iIIiSdDlC
belt farther west, and they annually
send out large quantities of these and
the delicious preserves to the eastern
markets. Canneries pay $50 ton, and
the demand far exceeds the supply.
The fig grows well in almost all the
soils of the section, and is found in
the dooryard receiving no care and do
well, but under cultivation yields much
better The expected results are from
$3.50 to $500 an acre and are treated
in the manner of cultivation much like
the orange.
The ponderoso lemon is also grown
quite extensively. They are very large,
weighing perhaps two and a half
pounds, and are sold at Is cents apiece,
but many orchardists are experiment.
ing with the small lemon of commerce,
and are very confident of success.
Funny Little Kumquat
Not the least among money makers
of this favored section of Texas is the
almost laughable little kumquat, the
tiny fruit that has the skin of the or
ange on the body of the lemon, and
that grows literally thousands to the
tree. 1t flourishes here, and, like the
Satsuma orange, is rooted on the trI-
foliata. 1t is sold at IS bushel and
is eaten raw, skin and all. and is es-
pecially nice for preserves.
With such wonderful possibilities for
citrus growing and with the present
low prices on lands that are adaptable
settlers are f1ocking into Texas by
the thousands, and outsiders have no
just conception of the wonderful move
ment in Texas realty, and where it will
stop only those know who have profited
by like advances elsewhere.
1t is a delightful place to live, and
the climatic conditions divide the sea-
sons into the regular spring, summer,
autumn and winter, though the differ
ence between is not so decided as in the
east and north. The spring is most
delightful. and planting is done in
March. Summer begins about the mid
die of May. The light, refreshing chill
of autumn follows the summers
warmth about November 1, and
through the three following months
there come the occasional periods of
two or three days at time when light
overeoats and indoor fires are comfort
able, the predominating weather being
sunshiny days and cool nights, then
the beautiful springtime, when all ma
ture revives again from its temporary
lethargy.
From North and East
Most of the immigration to Texas is
from the north and east, where they
have sold their high-priced farms and
are reinvesting there to get the big adj
vance in land values that is sure to
come, and those who have taken the
trouble to thoroughly investigate are