Texas Almanac, 1859 Page: 151

                                
TRADE OF SABINE PASS-SEA ISLAND COTTON.                -51
ton, 7,359; wheat, 882; miscellaneous, 3,146; total acres, 24,022, all of which is
a great improvement above that of last year. In fact, I look on Shelby county
as one of the finest farming counties in the State, although it has, for some time,
been overlooked and passed round, but now her fine lands, with a great abun-
dance of pure spring water, and good timber and range, are beginning to come
into market. Good lands are now selling from one to five dollars per acre, a-
cording to quality and quantity; and I predict the day is not far distant when
the land of Shelby will command as fair a price as that of most of the counties
in our State. The productions are corn, cotton, wheat, rye, oats, barley, sugar
cane, rice and tobacco, as well as all kinds of vegetables. I have resided in the
county some twenty years, and consider it one of the healthiest counties in the
State. The corn crop here was never better  From every indication, corn will
not sell for more than thirty or forty cents per bushel this Fall. The county
can furnish a large quantity for emigration, above her own consumption. The
cotton crop, also, is very promising, and if no disaster befalls it, the yield will be
very heavy. The planters are generally out of debt, and with a good crop, at
present prices, they will, mostly, be in easy circumstances.
Yours, respectfully,
A. M. TRUIT.
SEA ISLAND COTTON.
Ida Ssas. W. & D. IcnI.ArnSOe- Gentlemen:-In compliance with your ie-
quest, that I communicate to you any information in my profession, in relation
to the culture of Sea Island Cotton, on the Texas Coast, I have to reply :
The first experiment that I have heard of, was made by Mr. J. W. Byrne, (now
of Lamar, in.this State,) who, about the year 1841, planted an experimental
"patch," at a place upon Matagorda Island, then known as "The Toncoway
Wells." He was encouraged by this experiment to plant the three' following
years, as much land as he was able to obtain force to cultivate-near abo~it thirty
acres each year. Mr. Byrne informs me that the staple increased each year in
length and fineness. The yield, per acre, was three hundred pounds of clean
cotton, every year but one, in which he picked two hundred and fifty pounds per
acre of ginned cotton. The culture was finally abandoned by 3Mr. Byrne, as I
am informed, in consequence of large investments made in lands, and his conse-
quent inability to command means sufficient to enable him to enter into the cal-
ture of cotton on such a scale as would compensate him for giving to it his en-
tire attention.
About the same period, one or two crops were cultivated by a Mr. BeckI at
Cox's Point, situated on the main land, between the waters of Lavaca Bay and
the West arm of Matagorda Bay. Mr. B. has nupw left this region of country.
I have, however, been informed that he was a native of South Carolina, ac-
quainted with Sea Island Cotton, and that he considered that produced by him
at Cox's Point, equal to any he had seen in Carolina. I am not informed of the
quantity planted by him, nor the reason why the culture was not continued. The
yield, per acre, is represented to me as "a Sea Island Bag"
Experiments were afterwards made, from time to time, at various points, on and
near the coast, all of which were successful, so far as I can learn; but, owing to
the supposed difficulty of ginning, and also owing to the fact that most of the
individuals who made the experiments were accustomed to pick two to three
hundred pounds of short staple cotton a day, per hand, when the best pickers
could not gather more than fifty to sixty pounds of long staple, per day, the
culture was almost, or entirely abandoned.
In 1856 I came into possession of the tract of land upon Matagorda island,
formerly owned by iMr. J. W. Byrne, and upon which he had successfully cultiya-
ted the variety of cotton known as Sea Island. The following Spring, (1857,) 1
planted a few seeds of Sea Island Cotton as an experiment, but under very an-
favorable circumstances. The earth was parched with a drought, which had set
in the autumn preceding, and continued, at my place, until 5th of September,
1857, relieved by a few very light showers. My cotton continued to grow, how-
ever, and bore heavily. After the rains set in, if again grew off, and bore a