The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1919-11-20
AGRICULTURE LEADS IN LUBBOCK
THE GREAT LUBBOCK COUNTRY IS FAST DEVELOPING
INTO FINE FARMING SECTION.
ALL THE PRINCIPAL CROPS GROW HERE SUCCESSFULLY
The Rainfall on Average Years Comes During the Growing
Season and Crops Produced Here on Less Rrain
Fall Than Any Other Section of the State


straw being utilized for fodder. This
grass will produce on the average Of
500 to TOO pounds of seed to the
acre and the average height to which
il will grow is seven feet. This crop
was first planted in Lubbock coun-
ty in 1911 on the State Experiment
farm near Lubbock. In 1913 after IL
was proven that this was logical
crop to propagate in this section the
seed was distributed to the farmers.
Since that time the growing Of Su-
dan grass has been increasing and
today il is one of the two major crops
of the county, every farmer having
some acreage planted to Sudan. IL
is estimated that the yield for this
year will be more than 75 car loads
of seed.
Cotton, which is easily classed 40
the leading crop of the county, and
the one cash crop upon which the
farmers of the Plains country rely,
grows exceptionally well and is sell
lively estimated that this year there
is approximately 10000 acres plant
ed to cotton in Lubbock county alone.
The average yield is one-half Of a
bale to the acre.
The reader may get some idea OF
the success Of the cotton grower in
Lubbock when it is stated that this
year one bale of cotton sold for
$27S.83. this bale being produced on
one acre of ground That is to say
il was picked from a field that will
average a bale to the acre. OF course
the high per cent Of production was
out Of the ordinary as is also the
market price for cotton this year,
but Notwithstanding that fact the
land upon which il was produced was
held at a value Of $50 per acre and
the farmer producing cotton on il
this year realized gross income
from the land Of more than five times
its value. 1t is a common occurrence
for farmers in the Plains country to
raise sufficient crop in one year to
return the initial investment for their
farming lands. Through the efforts
of the County Agent and the Cham
/ ber Of Commerce and the co-opera-
ton Of the business men and farmers
"a government cotton CHASING office
has been established in this county,
which has materially developed the
cotton market Of this section.
The climatic conditions for the
raising Of cotton in Lubbock county
are exceptionally good. The boil
weeyil IS unknown az are other in
sects which play such havoc with the
cotton in other sections Of Texas
and the cotton belt. An exceDtional-
~ good local market is maintained.
and two gins and a cotton compress
are operated in Lubbock. as well as
other gins throughout the county
and Plains country in the smaller cit
les. II is expected that $4,000 bales
of cotton will be produced in the
county this year which is an average
of one-half bale to the acre.
Wheat. oats, and barley can be
raised in this county successfully,
but there is small acreage planted to
these crops for the reason that the
farmers have found that the other
crops will bring in greater revenue.
However the county is well adapted
to the raising of wheat and the north
ern farmer. who might want to locate
in this section and not familiar with
cotton farming or the raising Of the
other crops. can raise wheat and oats
and small grains successfully.
The orchard industry is develop
ing as stated in the opening para
graphs of this article, but have not
as yet reached the commercial stages
to any great degree. This is, howev-
cr. one of the industries which will
advance rapidly as has the growing
Irf ~. ali fn -
ceptionally well adapted TO the rais-
ing of apples. peaches, cherries.
plums and grapes.
The farming in Lubbock county
and this particular section Of the
plains is conducted under the plan
of what is commonly known as dry
farming. Although there is ample
water available for irrigation pur-
poses. this phase Of farming has not
been taken up as il has further
north on the Plains and where the
sub-soil is not such as to hold the
moisture which does fall. There are
only three or four wells drilled in the
county for irrigation purposes. bul
these wells have proven to possess
an inexhaustibIe supply Of wateI
Nultu tut4Ar t1th AAtkHttt' N |t"<
tical.
A State Experiment Farm is main
tanned two miles from Lubbock which
acts as the medium Of determining
! the best methods Of farming. Thu
: land was purchased and the building
: erected through the efforts Of ths
}, business men Of Lubbock and ths
: citizens Of Lubbock county sevsfa
/ years ago. and Il maintained for m
testing of the soil and expsr'mene'n1
IN various crops and methodo q
4 maximum agricultural rroduc(|&o q
; the county. A county agsnt = ~
|. played who does very sffsetive ~
!, aloas this line and he's p1o<o1
|. very capable ssslstsnt % ~ fng1
ef he senniy. lsiy 1e~e9.
: 4 .I<o smp|e<sl ~&e ~1l~
as< s'ea e|,A ~ xen1
sssni, as.1.s N ~