AGRICULTURE. 485 



their own stems. I do not know that any attempt has been made to cultivate 

 them, but they are certainly worth the trial. They are of good size and ex- 

 cellent flavor, and if they could be cultivated and protected from the stock it 

 seems to me that in that way a profitable industry could be developed. The 

 land on which the vines now grow is generally a deep sandy soil .that could 

 easily be cultivated, and if necessary to protect the vine from frost in the 

 winter, as is necessary with the Mission grape at El Paso, the soil could easily 

 be used for that purpose. 



There is also in places a small grape with a climbing vine. It is known as 

 the "fox grape," and is very similar to the little "winter grape" of some of 

 the Northern States. 



The mustang grape grows abundantly in places, though not so prolific as 

 in the middle part of the State. 



Berries. — Dewberries are found growing wild everywhere, and are very 

 abundant in places. In some localities the wild blackberries grow, but they 

 are confined entirely to the sandy country of the Carboniferous. 



The most abundant berry is the algireta, which grows along the edge of 

 the Cretaceous and over the southern part of the Carboniferous. The berry 

 resembles the cranberry of the North, in color, but is entirely different. The 

 berries grow upon a low scrubby bush with leaves sharply pointed with 

 thorns, very much like the wild peach leaves. The berries are gathered by 

 spreading a sheet or some such thing under the bush and then beating them 

 off with a stick. The berries are then dried in the sun and kept for winter 

 use. It is only occasionally that that there is an abundant crop of these ber- 

 ries, as they bloom in winter and early spring and the late frosts kill the 

 young fruit. 



As far as fruit raising has been attempted in Northwestern Texas, it has 

 proven in every way satisfactory. Like all other countries, a great many 

 fruit trees have died from neglect or want of proper care after planting. 

 Sometimes the tree has been planted in a soil that was so close that the roots 

 could not penetrate it, and the hole in which the tree was planted was so small 

 that only a small amount of moisture could be stored up, and so when the 

 dry time has come the tree died from lack of moisture. Where proper care 

 has been exercised in planting and cultivating, no trouble has been experi- 

 enced in getting the trees to grow. All trees planted have a vigorous growth 

 and make plenty of wood, sometimes too much for good fruit producing. 



The principal kinds of fruit raised are apples, peaches, pears, plums, apri- 

 cots, and grapes. 



It is generally thought that the summers are too long and dry for good 

 apples, yet some early varieties have done very well. The trees grow well 

 enough, but very often the fruit when matured is of an inferior quality, being 

 39— preol. 



