1927 The Texas Almanac and State Industrial Guide Page: 53

THE TEXAS ALMANAC. 3

tory is also especially adapted to the live
stock industries. The increase in popula-
tion and rise in value of lands, has caused
the passing of most of the great ranches
which formerly covered this great terri-
tory, but there are excellent opportunities
for intensive stock farming after the
manner of the cattle and hog industries of
the Middle Western States, and there has
during recent years been an increase in
activity in these industries.
Less Insect Infestation.
While the rainfall is less than in the
eastern part of the State, it is sufficient
for practically all kinds of crop produc-
tion during all but infrequent drouth
years, and it has an advantage in being
largely free of the cotton boll weevil
(entirely free in the western part) and
its crops are less menaced by\other insect
pests than in those regions where the
rainfall is heavy. While cotton is the
chief crop of the region, the agricultural
industries are varied. Parker County, for
example, is normally the greatest water-
melon shipping county in the United
States, Eastland County is known as the
"Egg Basket of Texas" and there is an
extensive poultry industry in Brown, Mc-
Culloch, Mills, Callahan, Jones and nu-
merous other counties. The principal com-
mercial apple belt of Texas lies in Calla-
han, Eastland and contiguous counties.
A heavy crop of wheat is grown in the
northern part of this territory and prob-
ably 80 per cent of the oats production of
Texas comes from this territory. With
the Panhandle-South Plains country it di-
vides honors in the production of grain
sorghums, a crop which averages about
45,000,000 bushels annually and ranks
usually third among the crops of Texas
in value. Cotton is grown throughout
this region, but extending south from the
vicinity of Wilbarger, Wichita, Hardeman
and Childress Counties through Jones,
Haskell, Taylor and into Runnels and
Coleman Counties is a territory of deep
fertile soils producing a large percentage
of the cotton crop of the State.
Great Petroleum Area.
West Texas is one of the most produc-
tive mineral regions in the United States.
Most of the natural gas consumed in
Texas comes from its fields in Clay, Palo
Pinto, Eastland and intervening counties,
and there is petroleum production from
half of the counties of the region. Wich-
ita, Archer, Young, Stephens, Eastland
and Wilbarger are among the leading pro-
ducers in the northern and central por-
tion and recent discoveries of petroleum
resources have during the last few years
been made in Reagan and Crockett Coun-
ties west of San Angelo. The amazing
thing about the petroleum resources of
this area lies in the apparently never-
ending succession of discoveries. Forests
of derricks have arisen in one community
after another in rapid succession.
Though there was little production in
this territory ten or eleven years ago, it
is now one of the threeleading petroleum
producing territoriesof the United States,
and it gives promise of continuing for
many years as an increasing producer.
Other Minerals.
Mineral resources of this territory, be-
sides petroleum, gas and natural gas
gasoline, are considerable. There are
some excellent coal deposits in Wise,
Palo Pinto, Young, Erath and other

counties and several mines have been
producing for a number of years, princi-
pal production probably being from the
Thurber-Strawn district in- Erath and
Palo Pinto Counties. There.are excellent
clays found in nearly every, county in
West Texas and a number of plants are
in operation, two of the largest in Texas
being located at Mineral Wells and Thur-
ber. The mineral waters of Mineral Wells
are nationally known for their health
giving properties; there are great depos-
its of limestone and silica sand. The
enormous deposits of rock gypsum and
gypsite lying along the foot of the great
plains furnish raw materials for great
manufacturing plants at Quanah, Sweet-
water, Rotan, Hamlin and one or two
other points, manufacturing plaster, gyp-
sum cement, wall board, sheetrock and
other construction materials.
The phenomenal growth of West Texas
is attested by the growth of many of its
cities and towns. Wichita Falls increased
its population 388 per cent between 1910
and 1920 and while there has been no or-
ficial census since 1920, it has undoubt-
edly continued its phenomenal growth
since that date. Abilene has more than
doubled its 11,000 population of 1920; such
towns as Cisco, Eastland, Breckenridge
and Ranger have jumped from the small
town class to cities of 10,000 to 20.000
population today. San Angelo, Brown-
wood, Sweetwater, Stamford, Vernon and
nearly every other town and city in this
territory has grown phenomenally during
the last five years. In some instances
growth has been primarily due to enor-
mous petroleum development, but they
have all passed the boom stage and are
now solidly constructed, growing com-
munities.
This territory has a great future; it is
admirably adapted to staple crop produc-
tion on a low cost basis; it has much fer-
tile land in pasture which will be con-
verted to plow lands in the future; its
petroleum and gas resources are great
and apparently inexhaustible; its climate
is healthful, and its citizenship is pro-
gressive.
The Great Plains Area.
What may be designated as the second
of the major divisions of West Texas lies
above the so-called "cap rock," that
bounds the great plains. Passing north-
westward from the region described
above, one comes to a narrow region of
breaks in the approximate location of
101 west longitude accompanied by a
rapid rise in altitude arriving on the
level, fertile floor of the great plains.
The great plains country of Northwest
Texas is usually referred to as two re-
gions, the Panhandle plains in the north,
includin- approximately that area in the
"panhandle" of Texas as seen on the map,
and the South Plains in the south, lying
between the cap rock and the Texas-New
Mexico border and bounded on the south
approximately by the Texas & Pacific
Railroad. The development of this entire
plains territory during the last few years
has been sensational.
The South Plains.
The South Plains owes its rapid develop-
ment primarily to the rapid expansion of
the cotton growing industry above the
cap rock. This territory is almost as
level as a floor except for the deep can-
yons of a few streams which traverse it,