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at these times is not above four inches thick. No other labor has ever been expended; no 
evaporators or works of any, kind—nature does it all. This lake is not over 50 miles in a 
direct line from Point Isabel and the harbor of Brazos Santiago. The country is very near 
a dead level, principally prairie; and if a railroad should be built, it is my opinion that 
Turk’s island would be less frequented by American vessels in quest of salt, and our pork 
and beef packers could always obtain the purest salt from our own country.. One thing is 
certain, we have the salt, and if those who need it will build the road, they can obtain all 
they want, and more conveniently than from any other source within my knowledge. 
In Lampasas county salt and sulphur springs abound, with salt works in 
operation, which, our correspondent writes, ‘‘ with indifferent management pro- 
duce from 30 to 40 bushels of fine grade salt per day.” “The sulphur springs 
in the vicinity of the town of Lampasas are much resorted to by invalids, over 
800 visiting them last season.’”’ In speaking of Sour’ lake, in Hardin county, 
our correspondent states that ‘‘it has been a place of resort for invalids for 
many years, and it is claimed that the use of the waters will cure a variety of 
diseases. I have known of many wonderful cures. The lake covers about 
five acres, and is three feet deep, and the water is continually in motion, caused 
by the bubbles made by the eseaping gas. Immediately around the lake are 
many springs, in some cases not more than three feet apart, all different waters, 
and very strongly impregnated with different minerals—black, white, and red 
sulphur, soda, alum, magnesia, iron, salt. sulphuric acid, &c. Many of the 
wells have quantities of pure petroleum floating on the surface, and at times the 
lake is also covered. ‘The gas in some of the springs is so strong that it will 
burn readily for some minutes by applying a burning match. There are several 
places around the lake where the ground is so impregnated with the oil that it 
is of the consistency of tar. Companies have been formed for boring purposes, 
but as yet nothing has been done in that direction.” _ ' 
4, A mixed husbandry prevails to a considerable extent in Texas, embracing 
cotton, wheat, corn, potatoes, rice, tobacco, rye, oats, barley, &c., in the list of 
products. Titus, Hopkins, Ellis, Cherokee, De Witt, and other counties, make 
cotton culture a specialty; Collin, Dallas, Burnet, Bell, Gillespie, and others, 
are more especially devoted to wheat; Lampasas and Goliad to corn; Nueces 
and Refugio to corn and potatoes, and Cameron to corn and beans almost 
exclusively. So entirely have some sections given their attention to the pro- 
duction of cotton, that they have been compelled to import their breadstuffs. 
Our Titus correspondent says, “ Nine-tenths of the flour consumed in this county 
has heretofore been shipped trom Cincinnati and St. Louis... * * ‘The average 
yield of cotton has been 800 pounds seed cotton to the acre, 18 to 20 bushels 
corn, and 10 to 12 bushels of wheat in the timbered regions, and 15 to 20 on 
the prairies. These estimates are made on lands not manured, and under culti- 
vation for eight or ten years without-rest.’’ As in all. States where land is 
cheap, little or no effort is made to return to the soil the properties extracted by 
continuots cropping, and the “skimming process” of culture has generally been 
followed throughout the State. Our Williamson correspondent writes: “The 
mode of culture and tools are of the most ancient character, with here and there 
a noteworthy exception.- The suecess of the innovators is like a light breaking 
in-upon the old processes. There is now much inquiry for the best gang ploughs 
and sulky cultivators, harvesters aiid threshers, and enough have been intro- 
duced to insure a revolution in farming operations.’ Large quantities of sor- 
ghum sirup of superior quality are made in this county, and our correspondent 
says “ the cane is cut two or three times during the season, and is one of our 
most profitable crops, the sirup selling af 50 to 75 cents per gallon.” 
In Burnet county “wheat yields best on the beach soil, and in favorable 
seasons averages 15 bushels to the acre; on the red loam somewhat less. Corn 
and rye on the loamy soils of the Colorado are considered sure crops. On irri- 
gated lands sweet potatoes do well, 300 bushels being considered a good crop ” 
Our correspondent estimates the value of the average wheat crop as above 
