Year: 1878

The terrible weather which has pre-
vailed in this region since early fall,
while it has worked unalloyed evil
directly. yet is not without its lesson of
profit for the future if only We are
wise enough to spph We in Texas
are not alone. so far as the bad effects
Of this evil weather are concerned In
Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and Missouri
the corn of the last season is quietly
rotting IN the fields, because the farm
ers cannot enter them to gather it.
The loss of this entire crop here would
certainly be disaster, but there, being
the principal crop, it is much more
grave. The circumstance taken all
together is a most practical and power>
| ial illustration of the soundness of the
! principle of diversifcation, and teaches
! that no farmer can afford to tie himself
to one favorite crop. We here in Texas,
have lost much of our corn, much cots
ton, and have had our preparations for
next years planting greatly retarded.
However, with all these drawbacks, we
have saved an immense wheat crop and
though clogged and deferred by the
unprecedented wet weather, yet ousi,
ness has not been destroyed. IL is true
we will not realize the full benefit of
the past seasons operations, but still
no very great distress will result. The
atiiiction falls heavier upon our mer-
camille and manufacturing interests
than upon the farmers.


Perhaps, if claims now due from our
merchants and others were pressed at
once, many would be forced to sue.
cnmb who, if little lenieney is mani-
/ Tested, will come through without loss
1 to themselves or to their creditors. This
fact becomes very apparent when we
| reflect that in four or five months we
will be selling and handling another
great crop Of wheat Right here we
! wish to say, that because planting has
been retarded, especially that OF fall
wheat, the wide-awake farmer will sup
ply himself with spring wheat. and just
so soon AS a plow can run at all will
be busy putting in the seed to
make good, as far as possible,
the deficit which must result if
some such measure rs this is not
adopted. IL cannot be urged too often
or too strongly upon the attention of
the farmers of Texas. They have never
I yet been found behind when great ex,
pectations have been formed of them
They are out of debt have money and
\ provisions with which TO make crop,
and the schemes of improvement hich
were inaugurated and in progress, based
| upon the vast profits of last seasons
operations must be deferred But this
suspension need only be temporary and
can be resumed, like mercantile and
manufacturing enterprises, VIII n wheat
comes into market in May, June and
July.


The deplorable condition o. thero.ds,
caused by these incesssnt rains, sug ggests
the necessity of some scheme Of i'm,
provement which will do away with
the evil, or at least to ameIiorate its
I worst effects in moasure. We are
forced, whether we will or not. to grapple
with he idea of either MacAdamizing or
planking them. Our principle roads could
be planked readily and eheaply. This
work should be done by tnecounty and
not by private enterprise Every av-
enue OF trade, 50 far as the people ofthe
county and the city are concerned,
should be free. We doubt If such a
system of toll roads as prevail in Ten
nessee and Kentucky could be nain>
tanned here, the people would use
use them only in such weather and in
such times as we are having now. We
usually have nine or ten months wealth
er in Texas when our natural high ways
are the finest on earth so system OF


oils would be Improbable for far
greater part of the year Let Us have
free plank roads, or free MscAdamized
roads, free bridges, and place az few re-
strietions as possible in the way of our
local trade. This system is full o flu


ture promise for Dallas, and all other


Texan towns situated as We are Would
that We could impress the lesson upon


the people.