No. 216.] 797 



Mr. Williamson. I am friendly to the Agricultural School pro- 

 posed, but the Professors and other persons to be employed in its 

 management, must be entirely unexceptionable. 



Messrs. Greeley and McElrath communicated to the Club the fol- 

 lowing letter on the wheat of Texas, from J. 0. Trueheart, Esq., of 

 Galveston, viz: 



Galveston, Jan. 4,th, 1848. 



Dear Sir: Knowing the interest you take in every thing con- 

 cerning Western Texas, it affords me pleasure to be able to send 

 with this communication a sample of wheat, the propuct of that re- 

 gion. It is perhaps, due to mention the circumstances connected 

 with its production, to form a correct judgment of every thing im- 

 portant to be known concerning it. 



This sample was raised on "sod land," or newly turned prairie, on 

 the farm of Judge Thomas, lying near the three forks of the Trinity, 

 in the county of Dallas. 



The sod is so compact, as to render it impossible to put the seed 

 in, in a farmer like manure; but even with this imperfect cultivation, 

 it produced 35 bushels per acre, actual measure. While last in that 

 region I saw many crops, some estimated as producing more, others 

 less, than that of Judge Thomas', the grain in every case of the best 

 quality, while it was a matter of astonishment to me, that with their 

 imperfect preparation, any wheat could be made worth gathering. 

 It however affords abundant proof that with suitable cultivation, and 

 facilities for harvesting and cleaning, an ample return for labor and 

 capital might be secured. 



This region is also well suited for raising cotton, corn, oats, to- 

 bacco, flax and hemp, all of which I there saw growing, affording to 

 the farmer an opportunity of having a mixed crop to fill up to advan- 

 tage his whole time, and in some measure protect him and the coun- 

 try from the ill effects of depression in price, or failure of any one 

 crop. The crops of w^heat are entirely exempt from rust, fly, or 

 " freezing out," so formidable in more northern latitudes. 



Judge Thomas, (formerly a successful farmer in the State of Mis- 

 souri,) informed me that the land in the county of Dallas, will raise 

 a much larger average crop per acre, than the best land in the State 



