Texas Almanac, 1947-1948 Page: 211

                                
FRUIT AND NUT CROPS.                211

LETTUCE.
Lettuce has gradually declined as a com-
mercial vegetable crop in Texas. In the early
twenties the state had more than 1,000 acres
in this specialty crop, but in recent years no
official figures have been given on acreage
and production. When last reported in 1933
only 100 acres were in cultivation. In 1945-46
the Lower Rio Grande Valley shipped thirteen
cars compared with twenty-five in 1943-44.
Most of the shipments occur in February.
Production is concentrated in the Valley, with
Hidalgo and Cameron Counties originating
nearly all the commercial movement. San
Benito is a major shipping point.
BEETS.
Beet growing has increased gradually the
last fifteen years in Texas. Production was
814,000 bushels in 1930, but in 1946 had in-
creased to 1,204,000 from 8,300 acres. Average
yield is 135 to 155 bushels an acre. At an
average price of 45c a bushel in 1946, the
crop was valued at $476,000. Average annual
acreage (1934-43) was 6,880, production 919,-
000 bushels.
The table beet is grown in the Lower Rio
Grande Valley, Coastal Bend and other South
Texas areas. Shipments in 1945 totaled 940
cars (exclusive of sugar beets) from eight
counties. Leading were Hidalgo (472), San Pa-
triclo (142) and Cameron (135). Webb, Wil-
lacy, Dimmit, Nueces and Bexar Counties also

shipped. Movement begins in November, hits
a peak in March and April.
In the last ten years a sugar beet industry
has developed on the South Plains in Floyd.
Lubbock, Hale and Swisher Counties. The
beets are grown largely for sugar-processing
concerns. The industry started in 1937 with
one bag of seed. Now some fifty to sixty cars
annually are shipped, averaging thirty-eight
tons to the car Yield per acre is around
twenty tons. The crop is planted in April
and harvested late in the fall. Sugar content
in the, past has been higher than that of
Colorado beets, 18 to 19 per cent being a
common analysis. In 1944 there were 165
acres and gross return averaged $150 an
acre. Though commercial development started
in 1937, small experiments go back as far as
1908. The crop Is grown under irrigation.
The figures below on the Texas table beet
crop are from the United States Department
of Agriculture.

Year-

1927
1930
1935
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946

Harvested Production  Farm
Acres. (Bushels).  Value.
.. 1,780   329,000  $105,000
.. 4,650   814,000   326,000
.. 6,000   600,000   222,000
.. 6,400   768,000   269,000
. 7,800 1,014,000    183,000
.. 7,100   994,000   358,000
.. 7,600 1,064,000   851,000
.. 9,200 1,472,000   618,000
.. 7,800 1,209,000   484,000
.. 8,300 1,204,000   476,000

Texas Fruit and Nut Crops

Development of a fruit and nut industry,
with exception of citrus and the pecan, has
never received proper attention by Texas
farmers and agricultural leaders. The state
has a wide range of climate and soils suitable
for production of diverse commodities, but
commercial development has not approached
the potential. The census of 1945 showed only
215,682 acres in Texas in fruit orchards, vine-
yards and planted nut trees on 62,128 farms.
Only one out of every six farms in the state
has fruits and/or nuts. The Department of
Agriculture lists the following Texas crops
for annual reporting: Strawberries, grapes,
peaches, pears, oranges, grapefruit and pe-
cans. Value of these crops in 1946 was $44,-
834.000, only 4 per cent of total crop value
and less than the value of the single crops
of corn, wheat, grain sorghums, sorghums for
forage, cotton lint and seed. Of the fruit and
nut value, grapefruit and oranges accounted
for more than $31,000,000, or 70 per cent.
Farmers usually have considered fruits and
nuts side-line activities, for home consump-
tion or local sale. Fruit and nuts are spe-
cialty crops requiring constant attention and
i esearch and co-ordinated marketing plans.
Retarding factors to sustained operations
have been drouths and sudden freezes More
than 3,000 fruit and nut farms sold products
worth $1,500 or more each in 1944.
WATERMELONS AND CANTALOUPES
There is some watermelon production in
nearly every section of Texas, but major
commercial areas are in the south-central and
eastern parts of the state and for the most
part confined to sandy lands. Acreage fluctu-
ates widely, depending on the previous year's
deal and current price outlook. The Rio
Grande Plains and the East Texas sandy land
account for half the total acreage in Texas,
the former an early producing and the latter
a late-producing area. There is very large
production in the Parker County area and
in Grimes and Hempstead Counties near
Houston.
Texas ranks second only to Georgia as a
watermelon state. Production in 1946 totaled

13,600,000 melons, more than twice the annual
output of 1934-1943. Acreage to the crop in
1946 was 85,000 compared with only 44,020
for the ten-year average. The 1946 crop. at
an average price of nearly 41c a melon, was
valued at $5,549,000 Average yield in 1946 was
160 melons an acre. Carlot shipments were
from fifty-four counties and totaled 8,427 in
1945. Leading counties were Frlo (1,329),
Wilson (1,115), Waller (579), Atascosa (516)
and Grimes (510). Pearsall, Frio County, and
Stockdale, Wilson   County, were heaviest
shippers Shipments were from May to Au-
gust. Three fourths of all commercial plant-
ings are of Black Diamond variety. Less than
1 per cent is of yellow flesh variety.
Commercial movement of cantaloupes is
principally from the Rio Grande Valley, Win-
ter Garden and the Trans-Pecos region. Pecos
Valley melons are nationally known for their
flavor. In recent years experiments have been
made on the honeydew and honeyball, hybrid
melons. Average annual cantaloupe acreage
(1934-43) in Texas was 5,120, production 315,-
000 crates, yield 63 crates an acre. The 1946
crop totaled 432,000 crates and was valued at
an average price of $3 30 a crate, at $1,426,000
Shipments in 1945 were 103 cars. Laredo,
Webb County, led with 66. El Paso County
was next with 22 and 14 cars moved from
Pecos.
Watermelons.
Data below on watermelons are from the
United States Department of Agriculture
Har\ ested Production  Farm
Year-             Acres. (Melons).  Value.

1920

1930
1935
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946

.............. 21,000  7,735,000
.............. 35,000  8,178,000
.............. 32,000  3,975,000
.............. 43,900  7,244,000
.............. 43,400  5,208,000
.............. 34,700  4,438,000
.............. 21,000  3,675,000
.............. 45,600  7,296,000
.............. 75,000 12,375,000
.............. 85,000  13.600,000

$1,856,000
1,227,000
556,000
869,000
802,000
1,145,000
1,599,000
3,633,000
5,198,000
5.549.000

Texas  Frui............p