20 A PLANT-DISEASE SURTET IN TEXAS. 



Raspberries, currants, and gooseberries are practically unknown in 

 any part of the area studied. 



The pecan is a common nut crop in favorable localities. It is 

 native throughout the area, and many large trees may be found along 

 the fertile valleys of the Llano. Colorado, Guadalupe, and Nueces 

 Rivers. Most of the crop is obtained from the natural growth, but 

 some groves have been planted along the river valleys where the rich, 

 deep soil is adapted to their growth. 



TRUCK CROPS. 



The main truck-growing section of the State lies farther to the 

 east, in Smith, Cherokee, Anderson, Henderson, Rusk, and Angelina- 

 Counties, or in the Brownsville district to the south, but nearly all 

 kinds of truck crops are grown to some extent throughout the ter- 

 ritory. In nearly all of the localities west of the ninety-eighth 

 meridian truck crops grown w^ithout irrigation are uncertain, and 

 most of the localities in the western half of the region do not supply 

 even a sufficient quantity for home consumption. 



The principal truck crops which are grown extensively for ship- 

 ment to northern markets are potatoes, w^atermelons, and onions. 

 La Salle County produces large quantities of onions, but Webb 

 County, just to the southland bej^ond the limits of our area, has a 

 much larger acreage. Watermelons are grown commercially in the 

 sandy soils of Bastrop County and in smaller quantities in many 

 other sections. Most of the home 'gardens have an abundance of 

 okra and peppers and other common vegetables, such as peas, beans, 

 lettuce, radishes, and eggplants. The Kentucky Wonder bean is 

 grown more extensively than any of the wax-podded varieties, and 

 the black-eyed pea {Vigna vngiiiculata) is common in the vegetable 

 garden, being frequently substituted for the less hardy Phaseolus 

 varieties. Cabbage and spinach are grown on a commercial scale in 

 several localities from Austin southward. Spinach is marketed 

 throughout the entire winter even as far north as Austin. The 

 tomato is a common crop in all of the irrigated sections, but produced 

 a light yield during 1909 on account of the excessive heat in the 

 early part of the season, followed by a long period of drought. The 

 greater number of the irrigated truck patches suffered heavy losses 

 from nematodes, and tomatoes were more seriously affected than 

 any other crop. Cucumbers and squashes are quite generally grown, 

 the main varieties of squash being the cushaw and the small bush 

 varieties (cymlings). Asparagus is rare, th^ only large field ob- 

 served being at Austin. Its limited culture is apparently due to the 

 lack of demand for this article in the local markets. 



226 



