Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 19.djvu/202

TEXAS. . In 1897 the value of the catch for the year was $237,496, this figure being less than for 1890. The oyster, trout, sheepshead, and red snapper rank in importance in the order named.

. The enormous area of Texas with its favorable physical and climatic conditions has made it one of the leading agricultural States in the Union. In 1900 there were 125,807,017 acres, or 74.9 per cent. of the total land area, included in farms. This was three times greater than the corresponding area in any other State, But the improved area—19,576,076 acres—was not so great as in some other commonwealths. The average size of the farms, which decreased rapidly prior to 1880, has increased since that year, being 357.2 acres in 1900. The recent increase is due to the inclosure into farms of extensive pastures in the west. Thus the average size of farms or ranches in the entire State is 357.2 acres, while in Red River County it is only 50.6 acres. In 1900 there were 11,220 farms of over 1000 acres each, containing an aggregate of 88,159,247 acres. In that year 7.3 per cent. of the farms were operated by cash tenants and 42.4 by share tenants. The number of the latter almost doubled between 1890 and 1900. Considerably over one-fourth of the farms are operated by negroes, but only 26.1 per cent. of these are owned by them. The State ranks fifth in the aggregate value of farm products. Crop-raising is mainly confined to the eastern and central parts, the light rainfall in the west adapting that section better to grazing than to tillage.

While there is a great variety of crops, the State is best known for its cotton, the value of which in 1899 was $84,332,713, or over one-half the total value of all crops. In that year 27.9 per cent. of the production of the United States was grown in Texas. The acreage devoted to the crop was more than twice that for any other State and much greater than that for any country of the world. There was an increase of 80.6 per cent. between 1880-90, and 76.9 per cent. in the following decade. The main cotton belt extends northeastward from Travis County to Grayson, Fanin, and Lamar counties, though there is a secondary belt southward through Bexar County toward the Gulf. After cotton, by far the most important crop is corn. The acreage devoted to it increased 62.9 per cent. between 1890-1900. A rapid increase also has recently taken place in the raising of wheat. From twenty-second in rank in 1898 the State rose to sixth in 1900. The area devoted to oats, the only other important cereal, is also increasing. The cereals mentioned, except wheat, which is confined more to the north, are grown in nearly all parts of the State. The Gulf Coast region is well adapted to the cultivation of rice, and since 1897, in which year rice irrigation began, much progress has been made in rice culture. In 1902 the area in rice was estimated at over 200,000 acres. The greatest development has occurred in the vicinity of Beaumont and in the Colorado River Valley. The acreage in hay and forage in 1899 was 148.5 per cent. greater than ten years before. Kafir corn is grown in the more arid sections. Dry peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, sugar cane, sorghum cane, and peanuts are other crops worthy of mention. In 1899 26,276 acres were devoted to watermelons. The number of orchard fruits increased 88.4 per cent. between 1890 and 1900. The peach trees numbered in the latter year

7,248,358 and constituted 65.7 per cent. of the total number of trees. In 1899 there were 49,652 acres irrigated, including 8700 acres of rice in the coast counties. In the arid west, the Rio Grande and the Pecos and Nueces rivers are the chief sources of water supply. The normal flow of water in the Rio Grande has been greatly reduced through the increased use of its water farther north in New Mexico and Colorado, so that much of the area covered by ditches in El Paso County cannot be supplied with water. There are two large regions now being developed in the southwest, where artesian wells are used in irrigation.

The following table shows the increase in acreages:

. Texas ranks second in the value of live stock, and far exceeds all other States in the number of cattle. The State is probably more widely known for its grazing interests than for any other industrial feature. There is no other part of the country in which ranching has been carried on so extensively. The use of the pasture lands has occasioned much trouble between the settlers and the ranchmen, the former violently opposing the attempts of the ranchmen to monopolize the public land by inclosing it with barbed wire fences. A number of laws have been passed protecting the interests of the settlers. The total number of cattle in 1900 was 7,279,935, not including 2,148,261 spring calves. Only one other State had half this number of cattle. The practice is extensively followed of shipping or driving the cattle into other States for market feeding.

The decrease in dairy cows as shown in the table below is only apparent, being due to a change in the method of enumeration. Twice as much milk was reported in 1900 as in 1890. There has been a gain in the number of horses, mules, and swine. The State ranks first in the number of mules and third in the number of horses. The number of mules more than doubled between 1890 and 1900. However, the number of sheep decreased nearly two-thirds in the same period. Sheep-grazing seems to be giving way to cattle-raising. In the following table of holdings on farm and range, the two census years shown are not strictly comparable, since the 1890 figures do not include the number of animals on ranges separately reported, and consisting of over 2,300,000 cattle and about 800,000 sheep: