Texas Almanac and State Industrial Guide for 1911 with Map Page: 176

                                
THE TEXAS ALMANAC.

UNMEASURED AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES.
Notwithstanding the unmeasured resources of Texas; its enormous deposits
of coal, lignite, oil, iron, clays and building stone; its precious metals; its
timber resources and its other unexplored mines of wealth, Texas is today, and
undoubtedly always will be, a State in which agriculture leads all other indus-
tries in importance. With a land surface of 165,474,000 acres, and less than
30,000,000 acres under cultivation, Texas produces agricultural products roughly
estimated at a value of more than $600,000,000 per annum. With a steady
stream of immigration and the introduction of scientific methods in farming an

increasing acreage, Texas will, at some
agricultural products per annum.
REVOLUTION IN METHODS.
Texas is no longer a one-crop State.
The introduction of new   blood and
intelligent application of scientific meth-
ods of cultivation are revolutionizing
the agricultural interests of the State.
Good farmers are found in practically
all counties; farmers who study their
soil, who plow deep, who diversify and
who market in a business-like manner.
Federal and State experiment farms
have demonstrated the value of cul-
tural methods and have developed new
ideas as to kinds of crops grown most
successfully. Farming is becoming a
science in Texas. It is bIeing conducted
on a business basis for the purpose of
making money, not purely for scratch-
ing from the soil a bare existence. As
a result, the percentage of failures in
the business of agriculture is becom-
ing smaller and   the proportion of
successes is taking rank with the best
in other lines of endeavor.
The progress in developing the agri-
cultural  resources  of  Texas   has
attracted the attention of the entire
country. Texas agricultural statistics
loom  up in government reports and
traders on exchange find it to their ad-
vantage to inquire of Texas conditions
before they negotiate a deal based on
any staple agricultural production of
the country.
Getting the best out of Texas soils
is not confined to improved methods in
the older settled portions of the State,
although there are thousands of demon-
strations of how two blades of grass
are made to grow where one formerly
existed; of the increased production of
corn, and of other grain crops, and
the improvement in quantity and qual-
ity of fruits. Progress in these things
is indeed an important factor in sum-
ming   up  general results, but the
advancement of agricultural endeavor
and activities into portions of the State
given over to cattle interests for so
many years that most native Texans
were willing to agree with the "kings"'
of the plains that pasture lands were
unfit for other purposes; the invasion
of the scientific farmer into regions of
the State outside of the humid area,
and the investments of millions in irri-
gation projects, are now the most re-
markable features of the march of
Texas to the front rank as an agricul-

future date, produce a billion dollars in
tural State. In these sections, where
Indians roamed thirty years ago, and
where within the last decade a man
found it necessary to drive sixty miles
to greet a neighbor, we find thriving cit-
ies and villages equipped with all mod-
ern conveniences, surrounded by well
tilled farms occupied by prosperous
citizens. Railroads have invaded the
boundless prairies and plains, and glis-
tening steel marks the old trail, now
the pathway of monster locomotives
drawing long strings of cars laden
with the products of the country. The
transformation of a dozen years is
almost magical in its results.     It
augurs well for the future glory and
greatness of Texas..
Awakening of Texas.
The agricultural awakening of Texas
is nothing less than marvelous. From
every section of this great State comes
a continuous run of announcements of
the discovery of. new wonders in the
vegetable kingdom; of the successful
production  of  some   crop  formerly
believed to be unsuited to Texas condi-
tions, of increased acreage and a gen-
eral advancement in the average yield
of Texas lands. The great area of
Texas and its natural physiographic
divisions has given the State a diversi-
fled climate of a range not found in
any other State in the Union. The
variety of climate is not greater nor
more remarkable than its soils. Texas
is great in its ability to produce a
maximum crop of nearly any product
grown in any other State. Climatic
and soil conditions permit of special-
izing as well as general farming, and so
great is the range and so numerous
are the opportunities that loss of com-
munication with the balance of the
world would amount to a temporary
embarrassment only. Texas does pro-
duce, and can increase the production
of all products and materials to feed
and clothe its people and to encourage
and develop the arts and all lines of
industry.
Texas furnishes the general farmer
and the specialists equal opportunities.
There is room   for all.  There is a
place for everything and the time is
not far distant when everything will
be in its place. In other words, Texas
soils, Texas climate and Texas condi-