2254 NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



Public-service agencies for horticulture. (E. J. Kyle.) 



The legislature of Texas, in an act approved April 17, 

 1871, provided for the establishment of the Agricul- 

 tural and Mechanical College of Texas, which was 

 located at College Station in Brazos county. The Col- 

 lege was formally opened for the reception of students 

 October 4, 1876. The Horticultural Department of the 

 College now has four members on its instructional staff. 



The Federal Experiment Station is located at Col- 

 lege Station. The horticultural work in the Station is in 

 charge of two men. The Station has published twenty- 

 nine horticultural bulletins and two circulars. 



Elementary courses in horticulture are taught in a 

 number of high-schools in the state. There is a con- 

 siderable amount of extension work done by members 

 of the horticultural teaching staff and members of the 

 extension service. Some of the societies advancing the 

 cause of horticulture in Texas are the Texas State Hor- 

 ticultural Society, Texas Nut-Growers' Association and 

 Texas Nurserymen's Association. There are also sev- 

 eral local horticultural societies and many fruit- and 

 truck-growers' associations for commercial purposes. 



In the State Department of Agriculture at Austin, 

 considerable time is devoted to the inspection of nurser- 

 ies, and the eradication of insect pests and diseases. 



Statistics (Thirteenth Census). 



The approximate land area of Texas in 1910 was 

 167,934,720 acres. The land in farms was 67 per cent 

 of this area, or 112,435,067 acres. Of this land in farms, 

 the improved land numbered 27,360,666 acres, the 

 woodland 27,658,413 acres, and other unimproved land 

 in farms 57,415,988 acres. The number of all the farms 

 in 1910 was 417,770, and the average acreage to a farm 

 269.1. [The total area is 265,896 square miles]. 



The leading agricultural crops of Texas are cotton, 

 including cotton seed, cereals, and hay and forage. 

 The acreage devoted to the production of cotton 

 increased from 6,960,367 in 1899 to 9,930,179 in 1909, 

 when the production was valued at $188,673,954, which 

 was 63.3 per cent of the total value of all crops: Cereals 

 decreased in acreage from 6,932,791 in 1899 to 6,716,304 

 in 1909, when the value of the production was $67,109,- 

 923. Hay and forage increased in acreage from 

 938,024 in 1899 to 1,311,967 in 1909, when the produc- 

 tion was valued at $12,824,433. The value of the 

 forest products of the farms in 1909 was $8,925,662, 

 as compared with $3,520,033 in 1899. 



Horticultural crops grown in Texas are fruits and 

 nuts, small-fruits, potatoes and other vegetables, and 

 flowers and plants and nursery products. The value of 

 the fruits and nuts produced in 1909 was $1,824,543, as 

 compared with $1,563,745, in 1899. Small-fruits 

 increased in acreage from 3,904 in 1899 to 5,053 in 

 1909, when the production was 6,182,742 quarts, 

 valued at $480,331. The total acreage of potatoes and 

 other vegetables in 1909 was 202,792, and their value 

 $12,122,255. Excluding potatoes and sweet potatoes 

 and yams, the acreage of the other vegetables increased 

 from 111,899 in 1899 to 124,690 in 1909, when the pro- 

 duction was valued at $8,099,306. The acreage of 

 flowers and plants and nursery products increased 

 from 2,260 in 1899 to 4,182 in 1909, when the produc- 

 tion was valued at $1,727,470. 



The total production of orchard fruits in 1909 was 

 1,090,233 bushels, valued at $1,060,998. Peaches and 

 nectarines contributed about two-thirds of this quan- 

 tity, and apples, pears, and plums and prunes most of 

 the remainder. The peach and nectarine trees of bear- 

 ing age in 1910 were 9,737,827; those not of bearing age, 

 2,958,813; and the production in 1909 was 729,-631 

 bushels, valued at $703,649. Apple trees of bearing 

 age in 1910 numbered 1,138,852; those not of bearing 

 age, 1,127,573, and the production in 1909 was 168,008 

 bushels, valued at $160,655. Pear trees of bearing age 

 in 1910 numbered 558,478; those not of bearing age, 



448,899, and the production in 1909 was 110,967 

 bushels, valued at $114,279. Plum and prune trees of 

 bearing age in 1910 numbered 1,020,339; those not of 

 bearing age, 327,765, and the production in 1909 was 

 75,222 bushels, valued at $77,925. Other orchard- 

 fruits produced in 1909 were: 1,839 bushels of apricots, 

 valued at $2,364; 1,635 bushels of mulberries, valued at 

 $723; 1,869 bushels of quinces, valued at $740; and 

 1,062 bushels of cherries, valued at $663. 



The production of grapes in 1909 was 1,802,618 

 pounds, valued at $78,325. The grape-vines of bearing 

 age in 1910 numbered 712,201; those not of bearing 

 age, 297,869. 



The production of nuts in Texas in 1909 was 5,945,932 

 pounds, valued at $562,542. The pecan is by far the 

 most important nut, the production of pecans alone 

 being 5,832,367 pounds, valued at $556,203. The 

 other nuts produced were: 40,658 pounds of Persian or 

 English walnuts, valued at $3,703; 16,932 pounds of 

 almonds, valued at $1,618; and 55,446 pounds of black 

 walnuts, valued at $995. 



Tropical fruits were produced in Texas in 1909 to 

 the value of $122,678. Figs and oranges contributed 

 the greater part of this quantity. Fig trees of bearing 

 age in 1910 numbered 230,171; those not of bearing 

 age, 585,396. The production of figs in 1909 was 2,411",- 

 876 pounds, valued at $97,078. Orange trees of bear- 

 ing age, in 1910 numbered 42,384; those not of bear- 

 ing age, 867,407. The production of oranges in 1909 

 was 10,694 boxes, valued at $22,090. Other tropical 

 fruits produced were: 1,175 bushels of Japanese per- 

 simmons, valued at $2,136; 488 boxes of pomelos 

 (grapefruit), valued at $866; and 224 boxes of lemons, 

 valued at $469. 



Of the small-fruits produced in Texas, strawberries 

 are by far the most important, with blackberries and 

 dewberries ranking next. The acreage of strawberries 

 increased from 1,361 in 1899 to 2,161 in 1909, when 

 the production was 4,207,056 quarts, valued at 

 $334,651. Blackberries and dewberries increased in 

 acreage from 2,394 in 1899 to 2,773 in 1909, when the 

 production was 1,868,119 quarts, valued at $138,557. 

 The other small-fruits produced in 1909 were: 97,652 

 quarts of raspberries and loganberries, valued at 

 $6,302; 4,873 quarts of currants, valued at $496; and 

 5,042 quarts of gooseberries, valued at $325. 



Of the vegetables produced, the sweet potatoes and 

 yams, the potato, and peanut are the most important. 

 The acreage of the sweet potato and yam decreased 

 from 43,561 in 1899 to 42,010 in 1909, when the pro- 

 duction was 2,730,083 bushels, valued at $2,197,799. 

 Potatoes increased in acreage from 21,810 in 1899 to 

 36,092 in 1909, when the production was 2,235,983 bush- 

 els, valued at $1,825,150. Peanuts increased in acreage 

 from 10,734 in 1899 to 64,327 in 1909, when the pro- 

 duction was 1,074,998 bushels, valued at $1,075,110. 

 Other vegetables of importance, that were produced in 

 1909, were: 5,170 acres of onions, valued at $820,972; 

 6,035 acres of tomatoes, valued at $597,038; 18,466 

 acres of watermelons, valued at $539,313; 4,462 acres 

 of cabbage, valued at $382,349; 1,784 acres of beans, 

 valued at $95,474; 1,685 acres of cantaloupes and musk- 

 melons, valued at $83,363; and 1,256 acres of cucum- 

 bers, valued at $52,667. Turnips were produced to the 

 value of $39,290; green peppers, to the value of $18,807; 

 green peas, to the value of $17,685; sweet corn, to the 

 value of $13,882; beets, to the value of $9,420; and 

 asparagus amounted to $5,372 in value. Vegetables 

 of still less importance were carrots, cauliflower, 

 pop-corn, eggplant, lettuce, okra, pumpkins, radishes, 

 spinach, and squash. 



The acreage devoted to the production of flowers 

 and plants increased from 167 in 1899 to 335 in 1909. 

 The total area under glass in 1909 was 986,070 square 

 feet, of which 907,615 were covered by greenhouses, 

 and 78,455 by sashes and frames. The value of the 



