136 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
^jjfaodlnttd, nnd 0nrden. 
THIS DEPARTMENT IS EDITED BY W. J- DAVIDSON, 8BO. N. Y. 
HORTICULTURAL SOOIKTI. 
SOUTH-EAST TEX AS— FORESTS, PRAI- 
RIE GAME AND MINERAL- WATERS 
_A TERRA INCOGNITA. 
Houston, March 16, 1878. 
Editor Forest and Stream : ' , 
Having just returned from a trip of some ten days in 
Southeast Texas, I offer some notes on the country and people. 
I took the Texas and New Orleans Railroad at Houston and 
rode through to Orange, on the Sabine, 106 miles east ot my 
starting point. Though on a railroad, it is a terra incognito. 
It is indeed a wilderness, with a village here and there at 
wide distances, and an exceedingly sparse population be- 
tween. Though I have lived in Texas twenty years and 
twelve of these in Houston, I had little idea of such a wilder- 
ness at my doors. It i9 alternate forest and prairie, pierced 
by great rivers and numerous creeks and bayous. the 
country is almost a dead level. Away from the streams, the 
forests are principally the long-leaf pine, straight as the masts 
of a ship, and yielding from two to three saw-logs to a tree 
This long-leaf pine is the best pine in the world. It differs 
from the short-leaf as a full-blooded horse does from a 
“scrub " It is nearly all heart— great-hearted, like all great 
men or things. Of late it has been discovered to be a very 
fine material for railroad ties ; our oak lasts about three and a 
half years, while the long-leaf pine lie is good for ten to fif- 
teen years. Indeed, it seems to me that it is almost impossi- 
ble for it to decay, so heavily is it charged with its fat resin. 
The Texas railroads are now excluding oak and taking to the 
long-leaf pine. Southeast Texas is a world of this pine. 
Here is work for thousands of saw-mills. 
In the wide valleys of the streams the forests are white 
oak, gums of various sorts, gigantic cypresses, holtus, beech, 
birch, myrtles, wild peach and magnolias. The railroad 
passes through a forest of magnolias, on the Trinity. It is 
fifteen to twenty miles in length and two to three in width. 
This makes a lumber as beautiful as satin-wood, and much 
more compact and heavy. The wild peach attains fifty to 
sixty feet in height. It is a very solid and fine-grained wood. 
These are only some of the forest trees. There are a great 
many other sorts too numerous to mention. 
the soil. 
On the prairies it is a dark, sandy loam, in its timbered val- 
leys it is alluvial, and rankly deeply rich. The prairies can- 
not be made productive without drainage, and often this can- 
not be had without cutting exieusive ditches. Perhaps from 
Houston to Orange there are not a dozen farms on the prairies. 
Even along the streams they are few and far between. Here 
is a country capable of supporting and enriching millions, and 
yet how few to enjoy it ! 
THE BOTTOMLESS LAKE. 
Near the San Jacinto, a circular lake of an acre or two, was 
pointed out to me by an old citizen, who assured me that it 
had no bottom— at least, that no human being bad ever been 
able to find it, though sounded with several hundred feet of 
line. It is clear as crystal, and as we passed I saw the fishes 
splashing upon its surface. Is this a volcanic fissure ? I in- 
quired of many about this lake afterwards, and all said it was 
bottomless. It has no stream -flowing in or out. 
SAME. 
The whole country is alive with it— the prairies, with 
grouse, plover, snipes, curlews, ducks and geese ; its forests, 
with squirrels, possums, coons, wild cats, catamounts that have 
no tails, wolves, bears and panthers. Turkeys and deer are 
everywhere. A sportsman could glut himself almost auy- 
where along this road in a short time. Do not think that I 
am exaggerating ; it beats any country for game that I ever 
saw. 'Gat or 8 are abundant even on the prairies in wet weather. 
If some of you New York sportsmen will come out next fall 
or winter I will insure you such sport as you never dreamed of. 
The “roughness" you will have to put up with will make it all 
the more enjoyable. 
ORANGE. 
This is the terminusof the Texas and N. O. RR., theTexas 
people having built it to the Louisiana line, and the Louisians 
people having done nothing to build it to New Orleans, an 
' they promised. Had too much confounded politics in Louisiana. 
Orange has about 2,000 people. It is the great lumberiug 
mart of Texas. It 8hips daily several hundred thousand feet 
of liUnber, and as many shingles, besides railroad ties. The 
logs arc floated down the Sabine River in rafts. This river is 
a big stream. At Orange it is from thirty to eighty feet in 
depth. Were it not for the bar at its mouth, and a few miles 
in Sabine Lake, through which it passes, the Great Eastern 
could ride to Orange, and that place would be not only the 
great lumbering mart of Texas, but also one of the greatest in 
the world. 
The people here are intelligent, bright and active. Many 
of them are Michiganders and Pennsylvanians, who have come 
to embark in the lumber business. I talked with a number of 
them, and they were all pleased. The Michiganders say there 
is no such lumber region in Michigan as this. 
There is no agriculture about Orange— none whatever. 
There are a few country people, but they depend on cattle and 
logs. Orange gets all her vegetables from Houston, and 
nearly everything els# that she eats. The people pray for an 
influx of farmers. It is a grand rice country, but good drain- 
age would generally he required for any other crop. The 
orange flourishes, and there is hardly a yard that is not r.tocked 
• with bearing trees. 
BEAUMONT. 
This town is twenty-four miles west of Orange, on the 
Neelies. Next to Orange, it iBtbe great lumber marl of Texas. 
Its exit to market is by the railroad and by vessels down ih(^ 
NecheS. to the Gulf. ‘It has about 1,200 people, nearly all en- 
gaged in the lumber business. Here, also, are a number of 
Michiganders. Southeast Texas looks like it was going to be- 
oome a new Michigan. Everybody seems prosperous, and 
there does not appear to be any “contraction ” here. The lower 
half of the country of which Beaumont is the capital, is a 
great prairie extending to the Gulf, which is filled with 
cattle and horses. The stockmen are nearly all rich, many 
branding from 1,000 to 8,000 calves a year. They are mostly 
of French extraction, very hospitable and pleasant, dress well 
for stockmen and would be good readers if they did not live 
so remote from anything to read. They live at wide distances 
on the prairie. The grass on the prairie is rank but coarse, 
and I do not consider it half as good a 6tock country as be 
yond the Colorado. Still the woods, even in winter, are filled 
with succulent vegetation. In winter they stay in the woods 
unless driven out by high water, and in summer they take to 
the prairies, where the musquito nnd the gallinipper flourish 
not. You don’t know what a gallinipper is, I reckon. He is 
the great grand-daddy of all musquitoes. They say he is 
sometimes as big as a humming-bird ; and when he bites— lie 
bites! I have occasionally been attacked by a swarm of 
them. I tell you they make a fellow fight and run. Fneir 
domicile is marshes and low forests. There is very little 
agriculture in the country, so little that even Beaumont 
gets its vegetables from Houston. Yet it is a good agricul- 
tural country. 
Four or five miles south of the town in a prairie is a cluster of 
mineral wells, within a few feet of each other. They are 
five or six feet deep, the water nearly reaching the surface, 
but never overflowing. The principal one is nearly of the 
color of milk, and is in a constant state of tumultuous ebulli- 
tion, which is not water boiling up, but currents of gas es- 
caping from below. This water is so sour that it sets the 
teeth on edge. It emits a strong sulphurous odor. The other 
wells have water of the same sort, only varying in strength. 
Gas issues from the ground all about them, aud one can get a 
gas-light any time by inserting a hollow reed in the ground 
and applying a lighted match. There are no houses here 
nothing but a great prairie. The people say that the water 
will cure the worst cases of dyspepsia and dropsy in a short 
time, Some enterprising man will some day make his for- 
tune here. 
SOUR LAKE. 
Sixteen miles west of Beaumont is Sour Lake Station, i 
left the railroad here and rode eight miles north to Sour Lake. 
I think this is the most remarkable place iu the world. The 
lake is a pond of about two acres of clear water, and on and 
near its edges are twenty-six wells, nearly all differing in 
character. All are in a state of ebullition or agitation from 
escaping gas. Tbe lake is also filled with bursting bubbles. 
Some of uiese wells are precisely like tbe sour wells of Beau- 
mont. Some act as a cathartic in a few minutes, and others in 
as short a time act powerfully on the kidneys. Some are cov- 
ered with crude petroleum, or a substance very like it, and 
these have a very strong taste of tar. There is one fine spring 
of chalybeate. The bottom of the lake is bard aspbaltum. It 
is destitute of life as far as I could see, except a very minute, 
red, wiggling worm. 
I stopped at tbe place two days, and saw numerous gas- 
lights made by applying matches to the gas jets issuing from 
the ground. Near tbe lake is a bed of bard asphalt like that in 
Trinidad, only it is not so pure, at least on the surface. I 
should think petroleum would be obtained here in great quan- 
tity. It was attempted some time ago. The shaft had been 
sunk about 40 feet, when the fellow concluded he would ap- 
ply a match to the hole. A great explosion instantly followed, 
knocking the man senseless, but not killing him. He then 
gave up the job. Some scientific man ought to visit the 
place and let us know what it is. 
A BEAR THAT KILLS TWO MEN AND A DOG. 
A day or two before I arrived at the lake and old Indian, 
John Scott, chief of the Coushattas, who lives in that region, 
and his grandson were killed by a bear a mile or two off. 1 lie 
bear was gobbling up a favorite dog of theirs, and the young 
man rushed up to help the dog. Bruin, having slain the let- 
ter, turned upon the young man, seized him in his arms, 
hurled him to the ground and fatally wounded him by biting 
him in the small of tbe back. The old man earn* up at this 
uncture and rushed upon Bruin with his knife. Tbe bear 
rose upon bis hind-legs, clasped tbe old chief to bis bosom, 
took bis head in his mouth and crushed it like an egg-shell. A 
white man came up just then and killed him. Who will say 
after this that a Texas bear is not a good fighter ? 
HEALTH. 
The people look as hearty as any I ever saw. Drink cis- 
tern water and do not live in the heavily timbered valleys, 
and all is right. The eternal breezes from the Gulf keep the 
air pure. 
Houston, Texas, March 12, 1878. 
El n,u l l 
ro Correspondents. — Those desiring us to presorlbo tor tuelr dogs 
will please take note of and describe the foUowLng points In caob anl- 
1 Age. s. Food and medicine given. 3. Appearance of the eye , 
of the coat ; of the tongue and lips. 4. Any changes In the appearance 
of the body, ns bloating, drawing In of the flanks, etc. r>. Breaming, 
tho number of respirations per minute, and whether labored or not. 
i 5 condition of tho bowels and secretions of tho kidneys, color, etc. 7 
Appetite; regular, variable, etc. 8. Temperature of the body as Indl 
cated by the bnlb of the thermometer when plaoed between the body 
and the foreleg. 9. Give position of kennel aud surroundings, outlook, 
contiguity to other buildings, aud the uses of the latter. AIbo give any 
peculiarities of temperament, movements, etc., that may be noticed, 
gns of suffering, eto. 
FIXTURES FOR 1878— BENCH SHOWS. 
Boston Kennel Club Show, Boston, Mass., March 26, 27, 28 and 
29. Dr. E. J. Forster, Secretary. ' 
Baltimore Kennel Club’s Show, Baltimore, M<L, April 23, 24,25 
and 26. L. R. CasBard, Seorotary. 
The Westminster Kennel Club (New York) Bench Show. Gil- 
more’s Garden, May 16, 17, 18 and 19. Dr. W. Bowa rd Webb 
Secretary. ^ 
MASSACHUSETTS KENNEL CLUB— THE 
BOSTON BENCH SHOW. 
Forests, Birds, Insects, Crop3.— The testimony of Dr. 
Testelin, before the French Senate in the discussion of a hill 
for the protection of small birds, showed that in certain por- 
tions of France the annual crops were half destroyed by 
worms. These seotions are those deprived of trees, like the 
Beauce, and hence deserted by small birds. On the other 
band, the finely-wooded Bocage has plenty of birds, and the 
farmers do not complain of the ravages of insects. This is a 
new feature of the forestry question, which is now assuming 
importance in several European countries, and which in this 
country may yet engage the serious attention which our 
legislators arc slow to give to it. 
A Flo\ykr’6 Mission.— The following, from the Schenecta- 
dy Union , may appear somewhat apochryphal , but we doubt 
not the ladies of the New York Flower Mission could tell 
many a marvelous story of the floral gifts their bands dis- 
pense : 
“ A growing flower was given to a sick girl. In trying to 
take care of it the family made changes in their way of living. 
First they cleaned a window that more light might come to 
its leaves ; then they would open the window that fresh air 
might help the plant to grow. Next the clean window made 
the rest of the room look so untidy that they used to wash the 
floors and walls aud arrange the furniture more neatly. This 
led the father of the family to mend a broken chair or two 
which kept him at home several evenings. After the work 
was done be stayed at borne instead of spending his leisure 
hours at the tavern, and the money thus saved went to ouy 
comforts for them all. As the home grew attractive the 
whole family loved it better then ever before and grew heal- 
thier and happier with their flowers. ThuB the little plant 
brought a bleBsing." 
—The quantity of food which a plant obtains from one and 
the same soil is in proportion to its absorbent root surface. Ot 
two species of plants which require tbe same quantity, nnd a 
similar relation of mineral food, the one with double extent ot 
root surface takes up double tbe quantity of food. Thus it is 
manifested that root-spreading plants are soil-feeders ; that 
leaf -spreading plants are air-feeders ; that is, they chiefly feed 
upon the air and soil respectively. 
Boston, March 26, 1878. 
T HE building in Central Court is admirably adapted to the 
peculiar wants of a dog show. Fairly spacious as to 
rooms for the display of tbe dogs, three whole stories were 
used, and to each story had been partitioned off a separate en- 
closure away from tho crowd, so that on all the stories dogs 
were judged at the same time. The advantage of judging 
dogs as soon as possible is quite manifest. A three or four 
days’ show of the dogs by no means improves their condition, 
and then public curiosity must be satisfied as speedily ns pos- 
sible. Down stairs, then, were placed the champions of the 
bench shows with other sporting dogs ; on the second story 
were found the surplus of sporting dogs, together with the 
spaniels, the cockers, the Irish water dogs, and the Chesa- 
peake Bay dogs, and on the highest story — the third flight 
were the mastiffs, the New Foundlands, the collies, belle ter- - 
riers, the stag hounds, the Pomeranians, the pugs, skyes, toy 
dogs, with the fox hounds, with greyhounds. In this upper 
story, too, were grouped the sportsmen’s guns, rods and vest- 
ments. Messrs. W. Read & Sons had a fine collection of Scott 
guns, and conspicuous was the Bogardus gun, with its two 
barrels, which had been in the 5,000 ball match. Mr. W. B. 
Schaefer made an exhibit of guns of his own make, which 
were faultless as to style and finish. The Messrs. Parker 
Brothers had a show case with a choice selection of their well 
known arms, while the hunting suits of Messrs. C. W. S. 
Simmons & Sous occupied a conspicuous position. This story 
was also ornamented with numerous pictures of dogs, fl9li and 
game, executed by the best artistic talent in the country. 
The arrangement for the comfort of the dogs was excellent. 
The stalls were roomy and were filled with fresh straw, and 
ventilation was admirable. The boxes were arranged so that 
there was ample room for passage way, and there being three 
stories, with convenient stairs, though there was present dur- 
ing tbe first day (Tuesday) a very large attendance, there was 
no unnecessary crowding. Somehow or other dog shows are 
mostly held in dark buildings, so that it is hard to see. In 
Boston the light was excellent. 
One thing which is worth while mentioning, is that pedi- 
grees were not allowed to be put on kennels until after the 
dogs were judged. By eleven o’clock, everything being iu 
excellent style, thanks to Mr. Lincoln, the superintendent, 
numbers on boxes corresponding for once with the dogs ns 
printed on the catalogues, judging commenced. The judges 
were Mr. John Davidson, for the setters and pointers; Dr. 
L. H. Twaddell, for the fox terriers, spaniels, Chesapeake 
Bay dogs, hounds and part of non-sporting dogs, and Mr. T. 
H. Scott for classes 30 to 48 (bull dogs, bull terriers, and pet 
and non-sporting dogs). 
Certainly the excitement commences, at once in a bench 
show when the cracks, the champions, are pitted against one 
another. Here there were fous first rate ones entered, though 
Drake, Mr. Luther Adams’ fine white and black, did not com- 
pete, as Mr. Adams is a member of the club. Mr. Carleton’s 
Dnsb, with Mr. P. II. Morris’ Lark and Czar, and Mr. Bry- 
son’s immensely fine Gladstone, now had it out for the blue 
ribbon. The ex-premier, as good on the bench as when he 
won the puppy stakes in Nashville, was in fine form, and 
Gladstone took the prize, Lark coming in for a very high com- 
mendation, and Dash and Czar for highly commended. It 
was a long and careful deliberation on the part of the judge, 
and the awards were given after no end of examination. '1 he 
champion English setter bitches now came on trial. Mr. 
Charles’ Rose, a handsome white and black ticked animal, 
was adjudged the first, the same’ owner getting a v. h. c. for 
Nina, with Mr. L. H. Smith’s Clip. 
Now came au exciting event— the judging of the champion 
Irish setter dog. Here there were two dogs. No. 12 was 
Berkley, the pride of the St. Louis Kennel Club, with Dr. 
Jarvis’ Elcho. These dogs had it out in St. Louis, wlicu El- 
cho got the blue. Both dogs were in good order, but Berkley 
is just a little the fresher and truer to form, and there never 
was a more delicate point raised than between the excellence 
of the two. It may be said, to Mr. Davidson’s credit, that he 
reversed bis decision in St. Louis, as Berkley was a shade bet- 
ter in condition, and the St. Louis Kennel Club has now the 
right to sport the blue. In champion Irish setter bitches there 
