6 



CROPPING SYSTEMS FOR THE BLACK LANDS OF TEXAS. 



Isolated areas, varying from a few acres to many sections in extent, 

 are found west of the Fort Worth prairie in Somervell, Erath, Bosque, 

 Comanche, Brown, Hamilton, Mills, Coryell, Lampasas, Bell, Burnet, 

 Llano, and other western counties. 



CLIMATE. 



The cHmate is typically southern. The summers are long and hot, 

 wliile the winters are mild, with the exception of a few ''northers," 

 which, because of their sudden appearance, are rather severe. The 



Fig. 3.— Location of the black lands, showing the precipitation during the crop-growing season (based 

 upon records of the United States Weather Bureau covering the period from 1871 to 1908, inclusive). 



belt extends from the humid region of northeastern Texas to the arid 

 region in old Mexico. Wind velocities increase from an annual 

 hourly velocity of 7 or 8 miles in the northeastern to 10 or 12 miles 

 per hour at the southwestern end of the belt. The mean annual 

 temperature at Paris, in the northeast, is 64° F.; at San Antonio, in 

 the southwest, 69° F. 



The usual crop-growing season extends fi'om about February 1 

 to October 31, depending upon the latitude. 



A close study of figures 2, 3, and 4 wall greatly facihtate an under- 

 standing of farm problems in various parts of the black-land belt. 

 It must be kept in mind, however, that a given amount of rainfall 



[Cir. 84] 



