24 THE TEXAS RICE BOOK. 



fine Berkshire and Poland China hogs, good sheep, fine mules 

 and horses, all fat and sleek. What Mr. Lovell has been doing in 

 the past for several years and is now doing in stock farming in 

 connection with rice growing can and no doubt will be repeated 

 in the Counties of Colorado, Matagorda and Wharton. 



Judge J. H. Barbee, formerly of Wharton, but now living at 

 Van Vleck, the terminus of the. new road, is good authority on 

 this section of the country. Judge Barbee informs me that there 

 are three water-bearing sand strata within 100 to 150 feet from 

 the surface and that an ample supply of water can be had for 

 growing rice by the deep well system. The water from the Colo- 

 rado and Brazos rivers will supply irrigation for a large acreage 

 of land convenient to the rivers, and outside of that wells will 

 have to be depended upon. During the past two months there 

 have been quite a number of large land sales to parties who are 

 now preparing their land for the coming rice crop. Canals are 

 being -built and as I have said, hope is fast taking the place of 

 disappointment. The Caney Valley is capable of producing an 

 immense amount of sugar, and there are several good openings 

 along the valley and on the line of the railroad, between Eagle 

 Lake and Van Vleck, or Bay City, for sugar mills. 



I am informed that arrangements have been made to erect 

 a $160,000 sugar mill at Wharton. There is a rice mill being built 

 by Capt. Donovant at Eagle Lake. 



Speaking of farms and farmers, I can not help mentioning 

 the farm of Taylor Bros., which is located about half way between 

 Van Vleck and Wharton. This is what can be called a model 

 farm, and in taking a survey of it from the car windows one can 

 see that there are practical men in charge of that farm. Sugar 

 cane, cotton and sweet potatoes are grown side by side, and the 

 land is free from weeds, the crops well cultivated, fences and 

 ditches all in good repair,the stock speaks well for their keeping : 

 in short, it is a model, up-to-date farm, and those who are inter- 

 ested in this section of the country could not do better than to 

 visit the Taylor Bros.' farm. They can see what can be done by 

 good management. 



The experience of Mr. A. P. Borden, of Pierce, Wharton 

 County, Texas, in the culture of rice this last year is not only in- 

 teresting, but very encouraging. Mr. Borden's patience and his 

 rice crop were put to a very severe test. It seemed as though the 

 elements were against him. His 160 acres of rice was planted 

 in the mud, and had it been any other kind of grain I doubt very 

 much if there would have been any signs where the seed had been 

 sown. But the rice not only stood the unfavorable weather for 

 planting, but it also stood the severe storm. Mr. 'Borden, not be- 

 ing an experienced rice grower, had, of course, a great deal to 

 contend with. Notwithstanding all this, he succeeded in harvest- 

 ing 10,000 bushels, or 17 sacks to the acre, of as good rice as any 

 country can produce. Some of his rice he has sold for seed at 

 $4.50 per barrel. His rice crop will pay all expenses and the cost 



