The Texarkana Gateway to Texas and the Southwest Page: 84
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water, varying in depth from 10 to 100
feet. The supply is so abundant, and
the natural conditions for water storage
so favorable. that the time is not distant
when these supplies will be carefully
developed, and extensive facilities for
irrigation be introduced.
''ll soils are, withoi question, the
most fertile in the State. The rich
bottoti lands of :'le Red River, the
Brazos and the Colorado, are formed by
the silt carried from the great Llano by
these streams, far into Louisiana and to
the ;ulf. The prevailing soil
is a dark-red sandy l Iam.,
changing to black loam in thce
"draws ' and basins, and to
a brighter red soil on the $
slightly higher-lying ridges.
The more sandll land on the
ridges is underlaid at a depth
of four to (cight feet with
waterproof clay, which has
the tendency to hold the
water from the rains in place,
and enables these soils to with-
stand drouth to a remarkableSTREET SCENE. MIDLAND.
degree. Under all the soils there is a
layer of marlv limestone from 6 to 20
feet thick. Under this, in a bed of
gravel, is found most excellent water in
the greatest abundance.
Though apparently treeless, the Llano
has an abundance of fuel. Mesquite
trees of small growth are found almost
everywhere. In the sand hill region, in
Winkler County, there is evidence of a
former forest of large oak trees, while
in Midland and Martin Counties there
are areas which, at some not remote time,were covered with heavv mesquite tim-
ber. The charred stumps, many of them
15 inches or more in diameter, show
their destruction tv fire. Fruit trees
planted on the Llano grow with remark-
able rapidity, and show that, under
favorable conditions, forests could be
easily created, if protected from the
ravages of fire and cattle.
The Llano is blessed with the finest
pasturage in the State. The prevailing
varieties of grasses are the mesquite,
gramma, buffalo and wild rye, though aconsiderable number of others
are also found there. Most of
them cure on the ground in the
winter time, afford excellent
summer and winter pasturage,
and are esteemed equal to the
best cultivated hay. The Texas
& Pacific land grant has yet
in the market 62,991 acres in
Martin County, 212,180 acres in
Midland Count,-, and 201,254
acres in Ector County.
MARTIN COUNTY lies on the eastern
edge of the Plain, and its eastern
boundary is well marked by the irregular
line of bluffs forming the eastern edge
of the Llano. The average altitude is
2,850 feet. The mileage of the Texas
& Pacific Railway in the county is 16.3
miles.
Stanton, the county seat, is the only
town in the county. The general valu-
ations of taxable property amount to
$519,158. There is 1 school, 1 teacher,
and 60 pupils, and one Catholic theo-
logical seminary and monastery in the
county. Almost the entire business of84
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Texas & Pacific Railway. The Texarkana Gateway to Texas and the Southwest, book, 1896; St. Louis, Missouri. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth61116/m1/84/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .