El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-08-01
FARMING
TEXAS COTTON IS
NEEDING SOME RAIN
Threshing Starts in Panhan-
die; Big Forage Crop
in West Texas.

Austin, Texas, Aug. Cotton is
| needing a good, general rain. Drouthy
conditions are causing the plants to
shed badly in some localities. Good
showers have relieved the situation in
spots. This is particularly true of the
Gulf coast region around Houston and
farther west. The dry, hot weather
is causing the bolls to open rapidly in
South Texas and picking will become
general in that portion OF the state by
the last OF next week. Many gins are
already running. BOlls are beginning
to open in central Texas. Worms and
other insect pests are doing mini
mum amount of damage. II is indi-
Gated at this time that there viii be
no serious losses from that source
It IS announced that the movement
of the commercial BODIES of Texas to
induce bankers of the state to lend
money on distress cotton at six per-
cent during the coming season is meet
ing with a very favorable response. 1t
is estimated that the required sum OF
forty million dollars to finance dis
tress cotton will be pledged before
the crop begins to move in any quant-
ty. Bankers all over the state are
said to be giving the plan their endorse
ment This method or movement is
little different from what has existed
all along Local bankers in the dit-
ferent towns have always been ready,
II is said, to extend reasonable aid 10
the farmer in the matter of holding or
handling his cotton crop 1t IS claimed
that there is more money than usual
available for this purpose this season.
In anticipation of a large crop OF
the staple much attention is being
given TO providing additional ware
house room Tor storing the bales
pending their marketing
rhreshiHg in Panhandle.
Wheat threshlng has been in full
blast in the panhandle region of Texas
The yields are SURPRISING expecIa-
tons, it is stated. The grain is also
OF fine grade. One of the interesting
features connected with the crop is
the success that was had in increas-
ing the yield by means of irrigation
in the vicinity of Plainview. Farmers
Of that section who tried the expert
ment of irrigating their fields OF
wheat are obtaining yields of 40 to so
bushels per acre As a result OF this
increase in the production of the grain
the new method Of growing il by If
rigatton viii be practiced quite Sener-
ally in that region next season. Prepar-
atoms are already being made to
greatly increase the wheat growing
acreage in the panhandle country this
fall
In the irrigated districts of South
Texas a second crop of corn has been
planted. 1t viii mature in November
and December. The yield of the first
irrigated crop averaged about IS BUSH
els per acre and the second crop is
expected to be equally as large. Other
fall crops are also being planted.
Big Forage Crops.
An enormous crop of forage, such as
Kaffir corn. milo maize and sorghum
cane. is being harvested in western and
southwestern Texas. In some local.
ties silos are being erected. They are
a new thing in Texas and they prom
Use to become very generally adopted
by the stock farmer.
Livestock interests were never in
better condition, both as regards the
excellence of the range pasturage and
prices for the animals Large impor-
tations of cattle from Mexico are being
made. most of these foreign animals
going to stock up the Texas ranches.