El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-12-21
STEAM PL0W
MAKING MANY
new FARMS
Texas Gulf Country and the
Panhandle Region Being
Converted to Crops.
TURNING UP BIG
ACREAGES OF LAND

Brownsville, Tex, Dec. Elm the
gulf coast region Of Texas the steam
pIow is proving itself to be probably
the greatest mechanical factor in the
converting of raw ranch lands into
farms.
1t is said that in the section ex-
tending back from Corpus Christi for
50 miles there are at this time 20 steam
plows in daily operation THESE
plows are turning under the virgin
soil at an aggregate rate OF more than
$50 acres per day At the present rate
they are turning over the raw sod they
will add annually more than 100000
acres to the cultivated area of the
Gulf coast region of Texas W nile
these figures may be considered large
they are not when viewed from a COM
paratiYe standpoint, there being ap-
proximately 10000 600 acres of ranch
lands in south Texas that are suscep-
tible to steam pillow Development
Million and Quarter Acres.
Some idea of the gigantic proper
tons of some Of these ranches may
be had when it is stated that the
property of Mrs Henrietta NJ King,
which extends up almost to Corpus
Christi on the south and runs down
the Gulf coast for more than 100 miles,
embraces 1880, 600 acres, all of Whlch
is splendidly adapted, it is claimed,
for agricultural purposes There are
at this time three steam plOW out
fits at work upon Mrs. Kings ranch-
1t has been demonstrated that farm
ing is more profitable than cattle
raising and Mrs King has arranged
to convert many thousands Of acres
OF her big property into producing
fields. Already considerable farming
is done upon the ranch
Just across the bay from Corpus
Christi is situated the 10000 acre
ranch of Charles p. Taft, OF Clncln-
natl, brother of president Taft Mr.
Taft was the first man to introduce
the steam ploW in south Texas. He
began developing his large acreage a
few years ago and now has more than
10,O 900 acres in cultivation. One or tWJ
steam plOWs are kept constantly going
tarning under the soil as fast as the
wild land is cleared, and 1t Is Mr..
Taft's plan, it is stated, to continue
this reclamation work until large
part of the ranch is in cultivation lie
grows chiefly cotton and forage stuff.
In the Plains Country.
The use of the steam ploW IN Texas
is not by any means confined to the
southern portion of the state The
level plains country Of the Panhandle.
extending south to within 100 miles
of the Rio Grande, embracing prac-
tically One-third of the area OF the
state, is peculiarly adapted for TINS
method of blowing the land For sew
eraI years Amarillo has been an i'm
portant center for the distribution OF
steam pillow outfits In some parts OF
the plains country 1t is possible to
DlOW a straight luIIOW 0U ul44tS 4OA6-
In fact, one stretch OF railroad track
there is 100 miles long without the
slightest curvature or change in the
grade.
Panhandle and Midland Works.
Announcement is made that Mai
George W. Littlefield, of Austin, who
a few years ago purchased 100000 acres
of land off of the 3,000,O 900 acre tract
owned by the capitol syndicate, has
cut off 20, 900 acres and is converting
the latter tract into farms. Several
steam plOws will be employed in turn
ing the sod on this 10000 acre tract
Another proposition relates to the
colonization of the 100000 acre Nor
ris ranch situated near Midland. 1t is
reported that this property has been
purchased by q syndicate of Chicago
men.
Big Irrigation Enterprise.
Near san Antonio. the Medina Valley
Irrigation company, which recently
completed a dam across the Medina
river and is constructing a system OF
irrigation canals and laterals at an
aggregate cost of about $1,000, 600, IS
rapidly clearing the $4,000 acre tract
of land that is to be irrigated. This
land viii be broken by means of steam
plows and cOlonized with farmers.