The Texas Almanac and State Industrial Guide 1929 Page: 79
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THE TEXAS ALMANAC-1929. 79
AGRICULTURE
Crops and Crop Values-Agricultural Resources-Farms--Farm Values
-Tenantry-Miscellaneous Statistics.
The gross income from the primary productive industries of Texas comes approxi-
mately in the following annual average values: From all crops $800,000,000, from live
stock products $200,000,000, from minerals $400,000,000, from forest products and mis-
cellaneous other non-mineral natural resources $60.000,000. There is no way of esti-
mating what is sometimes referred to as the secondary income of Texas, that Is, the
gross revenue derived from the transportation, distribution, financial and similar other
services, but if they could be determined accurately undoubtedly the outstanding fact
to be derived from the assembled figures would be the preponderance of agriculture.
With 465,646 farms within its confines according to the latest census figure, that of
1925, Texas leads the second ranking State
by 182,164 in number, or 64 per cent. For means diversified agricultural pursuit,
the last ten consecutive years Texas has which in turn means intensified, scientific
led all States in total crop values, having farming.
an average of about $800,000,000. Texas On a basis of gross production in value
has more land in cultivation than any per acre, Texas is almost exactly an av-
other State and it has more good raw land erage State-probably very little above
available for future cultivation than any the average. But Texas is a cotton grow-
other State. Texas is preponderantly the ing State and it ranks below most of the
leading agricultural State of the United cotton growing States in the matter of
States. value of crop production per acre. Cot-
Yet, Texas' position in agricultural mat- ton, because of its high cost of production,
ters comes from what may be called its must yield a relatively high gross reve-
"brute strength," if such expression may nue per acre to pay a net profit. In most
be applied in an economic sense. That is, of the older cotton States the raw crop
Texas leads because of the vastness of its growing resources have been exhausted
resources, which are readily available for and farmers have intensified their efforts.
agricultural pursuit. On a basis of Inten- In some parts of Texas the same thing is
sified effort the Texas agricultural indus- true. But leaders of agricultural thought
try is not a leader, in Texas are endeavoring to go a step
The Texas live stock industry has, to ahead of necessary economic development
considerable extent, run the customary by bringing the farming business to an
gamut of open range cattle raising, big intensified, intelligent, profit-paying
ranch cattle raising and stock farming. basis before the end of Texas' raw re-
Crop growing, which in every new coun- sources has been reached. Certainly a
try customarily follows on the heels of great deal has been done in this direction,
the pastoral era, is going through the especially in the last seven years. Refer-
same process of evolution. Texas is still ence is made to this matter in the intro-
a big farm State. There are many small -duction to the live stock chapter in this
farms, especially in the cotton growing volume, for diversification in Texas
sections of the older parts of the State, means to large extent the turning to live
yet census figures show that Texas agri- stock production on intensive scale. (See
cultural pursuit when - compared with "Live Stock" in index.)
other States is still relatively a wholesale In the statistical tables on the following
affair. In the United States in 1925 there pages of this chapter are given the details
were 7,455 farnis of more than 5,000 acres of the Texas crop growing business.
each. Of these 2,439, or 32.7 per cent, Briefly they may be stated as follows:
were in Texas. Of course, the word Texas has a total area of 167,934,720 acres.
"farm" according to the Bureau of the In 1925, date of the last farm census, there
Census means both crop farm and cattle were 29,368,716 acres classed as crop land;
farm and ranch. Yet even with reference this was 17.5 per cent of the whole area
solely to the crop growing enterprises the of the State. How much crop land re-
average Texas land tract is relatively mains is problematical. The census of
large, despite the fact that its principal 1925 classed as "plowable pasture land"
crop, cotton, is one with a large labor in- 13,617,251 acres, but this figure apparently
terest which customarily tends to cut includes only land immediately available
down size of area in the average enter- for cultivation, that is, having no timber
prise. Texas is now swinging rapidly or other temporary ricumbrance. To the
away from the large farm classification, person who has driven extensively over
but the future will see it go much farther Texas highways it would seem that the
in the direction of highly industrialized present cultivated area of 29,368,716 acres
crop growing. could at least be doubled. Particularly in
Looking back from the future to the the northwestern part of the State are
present, this era will probably be classed there vast areas .of rich but unplowed
as the chapter of transformation from re- land. Utilization of raw lands together'
source exploitation, soil mining, to scien- with intensified agricultural mdthoda
tific crop growing. This is the most should. raise the, present average total'
obvious and most significant aspect of the annual crop value of about $800,000,000 to,
present' Texas agriculture. In a" slightly probably $2,500,006,000. This, too, in the
different sense and from a slightly differ- not distant future. The value of al\ farm.
ent viewpoint, it is known by a single property in Texas' in 1925 was $3,471,867,-
word, a word that has been used so con- 466, which was 6.1 per cent of the total
sistently by leaders of agricultural farm property value of the United States.
thought that it has acquired a specific Texas ranks third among the States on
meaning in Texas. That word is "diver- basis of farm value. The gross income
sification." In Texas "diversification" from the Texas crop and live stock indus-
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The Texas Almanac and State Industrial Guide 1929, book, 1929; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117158/m1/81/?q=Oklaunion: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.