12 TEXAS STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



It is the opinion of all those who have a knowledge of the essentials 

 of a stock farming country and who have visited East Texas to study 

 and observe its conditions with reference to that business that nature 

 could not have done more toward the accomplishment of that end. The 

 climate is thought to be ideal. The winters are never so severe that 

 domestic animals can not run at large nearly every day,, though they 

 would fare better if provided with shelter during the cold rams. The 

 summer months often become very dry, but the heat is not extreme. 

 It should be repeated over and over that this country abounds in numer- 

 ous springs and streams which never dry up, and that, when no spring 

 happens to be convenient, a well can be dug for a few dollars that will 

 afford water for all necessary purposes. While stock cannot exist on 

 water alone, you cannot escape the inevitable conclusion that a country 

 furnishing so much' water must contain a sufficient amount of moisture 

 to produce all known crops. There is then but one other thing to con- 

 sider in this connection,, and that is the soil. For the very best au- 

 thority, we must go to the Soil Surveys by the Department of Agri- 

 culture, Bureau of Soils, Washington, D. C. 



Below are given summaries from the surveys of the Henderson area, 

 Harrison county, Titus county, and the Cooper area, which are repre- 

 sentative of the entire section. Harrison county is the same character 

 of land as Marion, Panola and Shelby. The Henderson area survey will 

 apply to the most of Sabine, San Augustine, Nacogdoches, Houston, 

 Anderson, Cherokee, Henderson and Smith. The surveys of Titus and 

 Cooper will apply to a large majority of the area north of the Sabine 

 river. 



SOIL SURVEY OF THE HENDERSON AREA, TEXAS, MADE IN 1906. 



SUMMARY. 



The Henderson area embraces the northern part of Eusk county, 

 which lies in the northeastern part of Texas, and entirely within the 

 Coastal Plain. The surface is rolling and the regional drainage is 

 well developed. 



The area is sparsely settled, and could easily support four times its 

 present agricultural population. The largest town has but 2200 in- 

 habitants, and the next largest about 500. The population is nearly 

 stationary. Local markets are wanting, and railroad facilities are in- 

 adequate. 



The staple crops are cotton and corn, which, under present methods 

 of cultivation, give rather low average yields. The boll weevil is 

 partly responsible for the low average in the case of cotton. Near the 

 railroads a considerable development in peach growing has taken place 

 in recent years. Cowpeas, sorghum, sugar cane, and potatoes are also 

 grown to some extent. 



The soils lack organic matter, and are farmed without systematic 

 rotation of crops. The aim of the planters is to maintain the crop 

 yields by the use of commercial fertilizers. 



The soils all belong to established series the Orangeburg, Norfolk, 

 Susquehanna, and Lufkin. 



