Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 14.djvu/602

 TEXAS

544

TEXAS

channels flow only for a short time after rainfall. On the west and south-west boundary the Rio Grande runs for 1200 miles. The Pecos River crosses the western portion of the state, from north to south, without a tributary. It has a broad plain where it enters the state, but descends into an inaccessible canon as it approaches the Rio Grande. The Cana- dian River crosses the extreme north of the state from west to east merely as a small stream on a wide bed of wet sand. The Red, Brazos, and Colorado rivers and their numerous tributaries rise in the Llano Estacado and flow south and east to the Gulf. Their valleys broaden as they approach the coast and end in very wide alluvial bottoms. Many other rivers originate from artesian springs at the foot of the escarpments, called Balcmies, at the south of Edward's Plateau. The annual rainfall in Texas varies from 40 to 50 inches in the east — it is 60 at Texarkana — to 10 in the west. Moreover, the evaporation in the west is excessive as compared with that in the east, hence the eastern part of the state is humid, the west arid. The Gulf breezes cool the air in the summer, and bring rains to the north and east in winter and spring. The northern hmit of the Mexican rainy season, with its water from the Pacific in summer and autumn, reaches the Trans- Pecos Province and along the Rio Grande. The cold winds called "Northers", blowing from the north- west or from the Rocky ^Nlountains, sweep at times over the whole state. A considerable difference, 20° in average temperatiu'e between various places in the state, is observable.

Population and Resources. — The population of Texas as given by the thirteenth decennial cen.sus is 3,896,542. This causes the state to rank fifth in population in the Union. In 1850, when Texas was first enumerated in the United States census, the number of inhabitants was given as 212,592.

Agricullure. — There are in Texas, according to the Federal Census Report (1910), 109,226,000 acres of farm-land, and 27,120,000 acres of this are improved farm-land. It is estimated that the state has 167,865,000 acres of tillable land. At present the number of farms is given by the census (1910) as 416,377, with an average of 262 acres to the farm. Over 1,000,000 acres are now (1911) under irrigation, representing an investment of $17,000,000 for irrigat- ing plants. Several large irrigating enterprises are being inaugurated that will greatly extend the acreage under irrigation in 1912. The total value of farm property in the state (lands, buildings, implements, and machinery) was $1,879,246,000 in 1910. In 1911 the acreage for some staple crops is given offi- cially as follows: cotton, 10,868,000; corn, 9,240,000; wheat, 1,240,957; potatoes 60,000; rice, 275,000; tobacco, 600.

The following figures, culled from the offices of the State and Federal Commissioners of Agriculture, show the values of same Texas crop yields for the year 1910: cotton and cotton seed, $265,955,944; corn, $114,206,000; wheat, $18,404,000; oats,$ll,443,- 000; barley, $135,000; rye, $47,000; rice, $5,942,000; emmet and spelt, $30,00; kafir-corn and milo-maize, $3,900,000; peanuts, $1,430,000; other grasses and seeds, $750,000; potatoes, $3,366,000; sweet-potatoes and yams, $2,600,0(X); hay and forage, $13,900,000; tobacco, $105,000; sugar-cane, $4..360,000; broom corn, $160,000; truck, $30,000,000: total value, $476,733,944.

The United States Government Bulletin, showing the number of bales of cotton ginned to 20 March., 1912, gives Texas 4,437,876 bales as against 3,172,488 for the entire season in 1910. The table given above names only the principal crops and products. The Texas Haymakers' Association has estimated the value of the Texas hay crop, including local consumi)- tion and inter-state shipments — the census does not

give such local shipments— at $180,000,000. Alto- gether, the estimate of Texas farm and garden prod- ucts, not including livestock, gives a market valua- tion of $650,000,t)00 annually. As Texas leads in the production of cotton so also in range cattle, pecans, figs, watermelons, bees, and honey.

Livestock. — The hvestock statistics given below are taken from the office of the Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of Texas and from the U. S. Census (1910). The figures give the value of animals in the state:

Milch cows, .$33,.542,000; other cattle, $109,104,000; horses, $97,199,000; mules, $69,498,000; sheep, $5,1.54,300; goats, $2,000,000; hogs, $18,702,400; poultry, $4,806,653; total value, $340,006,352; number of colonies of bees 238,107; value, $675,000. The wool product given by the Federal census, 1910, for the then current year is valued at $2,202,342. Conser\'ative estimates of the dairying industry in Texas state 4,000,000 lbs. as the output from the creameries in 1910. Official reports of the Fish and Oyster Commission for the year ending 1 August, 1911, relative to the fish and oyster catch in Texas waters, give: oysters, 110,.5.50 barrels; fish, 3,231,159 lbs. Many thousands of pounds of fish are also taken by fishermen and sportsmen who do not come under the License Act, and whose catch is not recorded. The timber and lumber industry from the last report is valued for its output at $1,150,000.

Minerals. — The following figures are taken from a statement made by the director of the Bureau of Economic Geologj' and Technology of the University of Texas. They have been compared with figures from the United States Geological Sur\'ey for 1909 and show the increase or decrease that may be ex- pected from one year to another though the general sums may differ but comparatively little.

Asphalt, $1,040,845; clay industries, excluding pottery, $2,744,845; coal, $2,397,858; fuller's earth $8,582; granite, $60,909; iron ore, $34,003; lignite $763,107; lime, $226,592; Umestone, $477,239 mineral waters, $128,549; petroleum, $6,605,755 pottery, $112,604; quicksilver, $151,413; salt, $272,. 568; sandstone, $40,471; sand and gravel, $517,225 silver, $205,374; stone (crushed), $306,862; tin $2,586; cement, gypsum, natural gas and sand hme-brick, estimated $500,000; total, $16,597,367.

Manufactures. — The value of the manufactured products of Texas as shown for 1909 (U. S. Census, 1910) is $227,896,000, the capital invested being $216,876,000 and the raw material used being valued at $178,179,000. The industries given do not include any whose products are less than $500 a year and likewise exclude steam laundries. The total wealth of the state as sho'wn by the report compiled by the State Comptroller's Department for 1911 is valued at $2,515,632,745. The capital and surplus of Texas banks amounts to $113,055,617, while the deposits, 1 June, 1911, amounted to $206,664,471, these figures being taken from the Texas Bank Direc- tory (1911), excluding a number of private banks not rendering a report.

Means of Communication. — Texas has 140,000 miles of public highways, 35,000 miles of which are graded and are classed as imi^roved highways. Besides these last many thousand miles are naturally of such good formation as to be passable at all seasons of the year and do not require much expenditure, while many thousand miles more receive attention in places, but are not includ(>d in the class "improved highway". The total railroad mileage of the state is 16,192.34 miles. These figin-os are derived from the report compiled by the com]il roller's department of the state. The Port of Galveston is the principal

Eort of Texas and the south-west. The total foreign usiness of the Galveston customs district for the fiscal year ending 30 June, 1911, was $225,155,912;