BULLETIN 193^ U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGKICULTUEE. 



plan were roughly estimated to cost $15,000. Following a prelim- 

 inary investigation and report, the cooperation offered by the comity 

 commissioners was accei^tcd and the survey was authorized. Head- 

 quarters for the survey 

 were established at 

 Beamnont; field work 

 was begun April 8 and 

 completed December 

 1, 1912. 



GENERAL DESCRIP- 



TION OF JEFFERSON 



COUNTY. 



Jefferson County is 

 wholly within the 

 Coastal Plain of south- 

 east Texas, reaching 

 from the Gulf of Mex- 

 ico on the south to 

 Pine Island Bayou on 

 the north and sepa- 

 rated from Louisiana 

 by Sabine Lake and 

 Sabine Pass. (See fig. 

 1.) The area is ap- 

 proximately 956 

 square mUes, or 612,- 

 000 acres, and the 

 population about 40,- 

 000. The prmcipal 

 cities of the county 

 are Beaumont and 

 Port Arthm-. The 

 proposed Intercoastal 

 Canal to connect the 

 ISTeches River and the 



Fig. 1. — Map showing location of Jefferson County in Texas. 



Sabkie-Neches Canal with Galveston Bay will traverse the southern 

 part of the county, and Taylors Bayou is used extensively for trans- 

 portation by the farmers in the central part. About 100 miles of 

 shell highways and about 500 miles of graded earth roads traverse 

 practically all parts of the county except the great salt marshes 

 bordering on the Guh. 



The principal agricultural products of the county are rice and 

 garden truck, but quantities of cotton, corn, and fruits are raised. 

 In the northern half of the county is a very extensive system of canals 



