Sept. 1894.] EXTRACTS FROM DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR 79 



REPORTS. 



XIV.— EXTRACTS FROM DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR 



REPORTS. 



Wheat-growing in Texas. 



In a report on the agricultural condition of Texas, dated 

 18th June last, Mr. H. D. Nugent, Her Majesty's Consul at 

 Galveston, furnishes the following information on the subject of 

 wheat growing in that State : — 



Wheat is not cultivated very extensively over the State of Texas 

 on account of the production of other crops which pay the producer 

 better for his labour, and the only sections where wheat is grown 

 is over the Panhandle, north and central portions of the State. 

 Winter- wheat is the only kind cultivated in these sections, and 

 the average time of sowing ranges from October 20th in North 

 Texas and the Panhandle, to October 24th over Central Texas. 

 Wheat with favourable weather goes off well and generally 

 commences heading about May 5th, when there is a fair stand, as 

 this has something to do with the heading and ripening of the 

 crop. The average date of harvesting is about June 9 th. The 

 average yield for the eight years is 10 '9 bushels per acre, which 

 is a fair yield and greater than any other State south of the 

 38th parallel of latitude east of the Rocky Mountains. 



The weather as a general rule is very favourable for the crop. 

 The dry weather, which occurs occasionally after wheat is sown 

 in the fall, causes the plant to come up and grow off poorly, and 

 thereby injures the crop to some extent, as it keeps it from 

 spreading and reduces the yield generally. A warm spring- 

 results in wheat growing rapidly, which increases the probability 

 of the crop being injured by cold weather late in the spring, 

 although wheat will stand a lower temperature than the 

 other products, yet it requires an average temperature of 

 about 55 degrees before it will mature. Heavy rains in 

 April and May injure the crop to some extent, especially if they 

 occur about the time the plant is heading. The crop is some- 

 times slightly damaged by insects in April and May, but, as a 

 rule, the injury from this cause is less than in some States farther 

 north. It is observed that in years with temperature and 

 precipitation about normal, and with the precipitation well 

 distributed, there is generally a fair crop. 



The acreage of wheat in Texas varied from 520,219 acres in 

 1887 to 359,440 acres in 1890, and to 559,382 in 1892. The 

 total production was 5,174,454 bushels in 1887,2,365,253 bushels 

 in 1890, and 6,553,575 bushels in 1892. 



The average production per acre in 1892 showed a decrease 

 from 1891, being 11*30 bushels, as against 15*34 bushels, and 

 there was also a decline in the average price, from Ss. l^d. per 

 bushel in 1891 to 2s. S^d. in 1892. This is in accordance with 

 the tendency all over the States where lower prices and 

 consequent diminution of gross returns in wheat per acre have 

 been very marked during the last 10 years. 



