The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-22
TEXAS FARM LANDS
 GAINING IN VALUE
Poultry Business Proves Very
 Successful
TRUCK FARMING PAYS
Southwest Texas Garden Truck Farms Produce VnIunbIe Crops-MaDy Farmers Institutes Being
 Organized

cah AhtOIlO, IcX, Janfary el-NoPe- cial)-Southwest Texas agricultural land sold the other day for s1OOo per acre. Ten years ago this same tract could have been bought for s2.50 per acre. The tract sold consisted of ten acres devoted to an orange orchard located near League City and is known as the Yarbos ough orange grove. Three and half acres are bear ing Satsuma orange trees, six acres of 2 year-old trees and almost one acre de- voted to 1-year-old budded stock. Last year the former owner sold $65Q worth Of oranges from one acre. It is estimated by those in position to know that this seasons yield will net at least 5000. It is also predicted that within a period of two years this orchard will pay from $500 to $1000 per acre. There are hundreds of such orchards in Southwest Texas and the sale of the foregoing has started a stiff advance in the price of orange land and gives the assurance that Southwest Texas has made good as one of the orange producing sections of the conti- nent Et##
 oOoii oiiuuSS Oiltt Sdlu ildt q hiah NhO is willing to work at all is usually too busy to devote any of his time to the welfare of a fussy old hen.s But when the results are known. 1t will be impossi- ble to convince T. P. Sjolander of Har- ris county that Billings had very much in formation about the real commercial im- portance of the hen. Sjolander began one year ago with 65 Brown Leghorns and dozen Barred Plymouth Rocks.
 From the first of January to the first of September, last year, he sold s239 50 worth of chickens and eggs. In securing these results but a small part of his time was devoted to his poultry, but the work that was done was of the kind that counts in the matter of giving cash re- turns. The success of MT. Sjolander is in line with that of others who have gone into the poultry business in Texas in common sense way, and demon strates that as a poultry producing coun- try every essential condition of success is present here. The Texas hen is do- ing her part in adding to the national re- sources.
 During 1910 Texas marketed 19, 49O cars of garden truck and fruit, which brought a net total to the producers of sS, ,936. 700. The number of carload lots shipped out of this state would make 646 trains of 30 cars each. When 1t is recalled that truck farming Is only about six years old in the state as a whole, some notion can be gathered of the wonderful progress that is being made in this phase of agricul- tural effort In the production of garden truck by the carload Southwest Texas is far ahead of any other part of the state, the bulk of the shipments coming from that section south of line drawn s.- .tr1 af Ca, A,,fn f< foto truck crops are estimated to have been as follows: 1900 cars of tomatoes, $1, 400, GOO; $500 cars of potatoes, s1. 800; POGO cars of watermelons, s470.000; FOO cars of cabbage, s515, ,000; 175 cars of strawberries. $l75,00o: 115 cars of cucumbers S66 700 4O00 mixed cars, s43O.00. ti.4fs.s .a.,ss4 M
 It will be observed in the matter of car lot shipments that Bermuda onions the most valuable vegetable crop, is not mem toned. Those in position to know es- innate that the area devoted to this vege- table alone will be 50 per cent greater this year than last and the total of this years production of fruit and vegetables is priced at $l5,0000oo net.
 The report of the commissioner of agri- culture, which has just beein made to the governor. shows that during 1910, 167 farmers institutes have been organized In the state of Texas With membership of from 100 to 200 each The institutes are recognized as the best medium for arousing interest among the farmers in scientific agriculture, for acquainting them with the latest methods of farming and enabling them to keep in touch with the progress of their calling. In addition to stimulating farm interest and inducing farmers to use the best seed, the insti- ute serves a two-fold purpose that is important in results attained Where in stitutes have been held regularly it is an esta blished fact that fewer boys desire to leave the farm for some other calling and that road building has been stimu- lated to a great extent In those sec tions where institutes have been regular ly held good serviceable highways are the rule, the influence of the institute be- ing such as to interest farmers in this important branch of improvement as a means of enhancing the value of farming land