UNITED STATES OP AMERICA. (TEXAS.) 



805 



It is wholly beyond possibility that the weevil 

 is ever to be exterminated. Its history in Mexico 

 and since reaching Texas, as well as the history of 

 many related injurious insects, offers no hope that 

 it will ever be much less destructive than now. 

 Nevertheless, it has been demonstrated that cot- 

 ton can be grown profitably by means of a few 

 expedients in planting and managing the crop 

 where the insect is present. 



During the season the division of entomology 

 was engaged in field experiments to demonstrate 

 that cotton can be produced successfully in spite 

 of the boll-weevil. Some of this work was con- 

 ducted on the plantation of Col. E. S. Peters, in 

 the Brazos valley, near Calvert. This valley is, 

 on account of its low and moist situation, the 

 presence of timber, and the almost exclusive pro- 

 duction of cotton, the most seriously-affected por- 

 tion of the boll-weevil territory. In fact, the most 

 favorable conditions possible for the multiplica- 

 tion of insects are there present. In none of the 

 field did any of the insects, aside from the weevil, 

 cause any considerable damage. The boll-worm 

 was present, but did very little injury: the sharp- 

 shooter was scarcely noticed, and the leaf-worm 

 did not appear in sufficient numbers to warrant 

 poisoning. To summarize the results of these ex- 

 periments: 1, Early planted cotton, with a thor- 

 ough cultivation, produced two-thirds of a bale per 

 acre; 2, early planted cotton, with careless culti- 

 vation, produced one-ninth of a bale per acre; 3, 

 early planted cotton, with fair cultivation, pro- 

 duced one-half of a bale per acre ; 4, Late planted 

 cotton, with wide rows, produced about one-fourth 

 of a bale per acre; 5, late planted cotton, with 

 narrow rows, sprayed thoroughly, yielded about 

 one-fourth of a bale per acre. 



In a report submitted by Congressman Slayden, 

 Dec. 17, to the House Committee on Agriculture, 

 the loss due to the boll-weevil in 1902 was placed 

 approximately at 500,000 bales, with about $25,- 

 000,000. This report was based on information 

 gathered by the managers of the several Texas 

 railroads that run through the infested section. 

 The entomologist of the Texas State Agricultural 

 College figured, Aug. 17, the loss at $21,250,000. 



B/ice. In a bulletin issued by the University 

 of Texas, Dec. 12, detailed statements were given 

 of the capacity, acreage, and cost of installing al- 

 most every separate rice-farm in the State. The 

 report is of special interest to the people of the 

 coast country of Texas, which, in the past two 

 years, has developed greatly as a rice-growing cen- 

 ter, and which bids fair to be the largest in the 

 world. It exhibits the acreage sowed in rice by 

 counties, the total being 182,170 acres. On ac- 

 count of failure to secure an adequate supply of 

 water, it is believed that not more than 150,000 

 acres can be harvested. According to a conserva- 

 tive estimate, the probable yield for the season 

 would be 1,450,000 sacks. 



The Oil-Fields. The report of the United 

 States Geological Survey, Oct. 25, declares that 

 the Spindle Top oil-rock contains about one- 

 fourth of its volume in oil. At an estimate of 

 1 barrel obtained for every 26 cubic feet for Spin- 

 dle Top, and a little less for other fields, there 

 should be a yield equal to Baku, in Russia, and a 

 much greater output than that at any other 

 American field. The report says that the apparent 

 consensus of opinion among chemists who have ex- 

 amined the field is that the Gulf Coast petroleum 

 is unsuited for the production of illuminating oil, 

 and that it is doubtful if it can be made to yield 

 good lubricating oil on a commercial basis. Its 

 value as a source of asphalt and gas oil is as yet 

 undetermined. Experiments seem to establish 



both its availability and its economy as a genera- 

 tor of steam. The estimate of the average daily 

 flow of 162 wells now operating on Spindle Top is 

 not to exceed 12,000 barrels. 



The oil industry of South Texas was greatly ad- 

 vanced by the discovery of oil at several points 

 outside of Spindle Top. The steel, earthen, and 

 wooden storage at Spindle Top, Jan. 1, 1903, was 

 13,253,000 barrels. The oil in storage Dec. 1, 1902, 

 was 8,670,000 barrels. The oil in storage Jan. 1, 

 1903, was 9,470,000 barrels. 



Legal Decisions. On May 26 the Supreme 

 Court decided the case of the State of Texas rs. 

 the Houston and Texas Central Railway Company 

 et al., from Travis. This was a suit instituted 

 to recover 170,880 acres in Lipscomb County, lo- 

 cated and surveyed by virtue of certificates is- 

 sued to the railroad company under several acts 

 granting 16 sections of land to any railroad com- 

 pany for every mile of road constructed and oper- 

 ated. The lands were granted the railroad com- 

 pany for miles of sidings constructed, and not 

 main line. However, its recovery was sought on 

 these grounds: First, that at the time the sec- 

 tions of railroad were completed for which the 

 certificates were issued the law which authorized 

 a grant of lands to railroads had ceased to be oper- 

 ative by its own limitation and had also been re- 

 pealed by the Constitution of 1869; second, that 

 the certificates by virtue of which the lands in con- 

 troversy were located were issued for side-tracks, 

 and that the law did not authorize the issue of 

 certificates for sidings; and third, that if the 

 grants were valid the title thereto had been for- 

 feited by failure of the company to alienate them 

 within the time prescribed by the statutes which 

 authorized the grant. The court decided in favor 

 of the company. Had it decided otherwise, the 

 titles to 10,000,000 acres would have been placed 

 in jeopardy, but as it is they are safe, and inno- 

 cent third parties, who purchased the lands, will 

 not suffer. 



A decision rendered by the Court of Appeals, 

 Nov. 19, was of special importance on account of 

 the effect it must have on many other suits filed 

 by the Attorney-General to recover land held by 

 virtue of Mexican land grants, more than 1,000,-. 

 000 acres being in controversy. The suit O'Con- 

 nor t'S. the State of Texas was to recover 19,410 

 acres in Webb County, out of an original Mexican 

 land grant of 300,000 acres, title to which the 

 State contested, alleging that it had not been le- 

 gally confirmed. The original grantees filed suit 

 in the district court of Webb County within three 

 years after the passage of the act of 1860, as pro- 

 vided therein, to confirm title, and secured the 

 judgment sought. The State attacked this judg- 

 ment as irregular and void and not having been 

 rendered by a " court of proper jurisdiction." 

 O'Connor answered that even if said judgment 

 was invalid the act of the Legislature of 1881 

 validated his title. The court sustained O'Con- 

 nor's contention, holding that the act of 1881 did 

 confirm title, and therefore rendered judgment in 

 his favor. 



Confederate Reunion. About 12,000 Confed- 

 erate veterans held their annual reunion at Dallas 

 on April 23. Gen. Gordon, commander-in-chief, 

 called the convention to order. Among the resolu- 

 tions adopted was one withdrawing the support 

 of all Confederate veterans from Grail University 

 because of an alleged disparaging article by a pro- 

 fessor of that institution on Southern women. 

 Another called for the preparation of school his- 

 tories that would do justice to " Southern leader- 

 ship, Southern character. Southern environment, 

 and Southern development." The report on the 



