48 



their fine grazing lands, will ere long cause these counties 

 to have a large population. 



The valley of the Pecos below the stage station, between 

 Fort Concho and El Paso, has but comparatively little irri- 

 gable land ; that is, as far down as the ford near old Fort 

 Lancaster, below which we did not see the ru>i-. In t-vvo 

 or three places, farms of three and four hundred iic.-.s ■-.n 

 be made and irrigated, and small places of a fV.w .iiT'^s <• n 

 be made along the larger portion of the way, but the irri- 

 gation would mostly have to be done by hydraulic rams, 

 or what would probably be better, with pumps run by 

 wind mills. Thus stock ranches can be made, and grain 

 and vegetables for family use raised. The stream is deep 

 and rapid, charged with yellowish-brown mud, and con- 

 fined between perpendicular clay banks six to ten feet high. 

 Hence a person may travel along the river for miles without 

 seeing the water. Cattle cannot get to the water except in 

 d few places at the distance of from eight to ten miles from 

 each other. However, a few hours work with spade and 

 shovel can obviate thin, and make roads and paths to the 

 water for cattle. 



There is a large pe'rmanent spring of excellent water on 

 the west side of the river, eight to ten miles above the ford, 

 near old Fort Lancaster, now unoccupied and in ruins. 

 The spring is at the base of a hill, amid small trees and 

 bushes, where the road turns up and goes around a 

 mountain. 



COTTON. 



This is the staple of the State, being grown largely 

 throughout most of the agricultural region^ except in the 

 irrigated lands of the west, and there it does well, but 

 the distance from market prevents its cultivation. 



In 1870, the number of bales raised in Texas is reported 

 to have been 350,658. This year there was probably an 

 equal amount, and perhaps more. Averaging the bales 

 at 450 pounds each, which is a low average, and the aver- 

 age price of the c^otton at ten cents, which is also too low, 

 then the sum received, or which can be received for th.? 

 cotton crop, amounts to 815,779,610, which is a snug sum 

 for the farmers of the State. If they raise their own bacon 

 and breadstuff, and make their own butter, and most of 

 them do, then, as a class, they are doing well, and better 

 probably than any other class in the State. True, the State 



