[Memorandum for West Texas Trip] Page: 3 of 8
This text is part of the collection entitled: Harris and Eliza Kempner and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Rosenberg Library.
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The weather was warm in the day time -- 1000 to 1010 at Maria and
Presidio -- but rather cool at night. The crop seems off to an
excellent start.
The Buffalo alfalfa is in fine condition -- 10 to 12 inches
high -- of the most beautiful dark green color I have ever seen.
I am told tHere are live to'seven cuttings possible out there each
year against three to five at Sugar Land on account of the tonnage,
the color, the demand, and nutritive value, t h is West Texas alfalfa
as compared to our Sugar Land alfalfa with its Johnson grass and
other farm grasses is far superior.
The cantaloupes at Presidio are under hot-caps up to a good
stand starting to make runners; the hot-caps have been cut to permit
these runners to extend themselves. John Miyakawa, the present
manager, is as usual enthusiastic but says he never wants to plant
another head of lettuce on account of last year's market experience.
I had asked Wilson about the water supply on the river and
at the wells. He tells me that we have a perfect right to take all
of the water out of the river that we need on our adjoining land at
Presidio and that the only limitation for the removal of water from
the river under the Mexican Treaty is for projects and not for indi-
viduals who have previously installed such plants.
I met Clarence Moore, of Navasota, at Pecos. He, with a
nephew of Mr. Norwood's at Navasota, bought a section of land,
developed and leveled it as we have done and sold it at $250. 00 an
acre to some people from West Virginia, giving as his reasons for
selling that in some of the wells in the northern territory the water
table had fallen 40-feet during the past year and he was afraid of
the well supply in the future. But he said if the water tables in
this and other areas holds up there would be no difficulty in selling
these irrigated and land-planed lands at from $500. 00 to $600. 00
an acre within the next couple of years because there is an excellent
demand for them from the East.
The country presents an altogether different appearance at
this time of the year than it did on my previous visits in the summer
or the fall when the grass and weeds along the road were high and
terrible looking. These are now being kept to a minimum by the
grazing of sheep along the canals and roads, which canals and roads
are fenced on both sides, the sheep keeping the grass closely cropped
at all times. Some sheep men are building light temporary fences
putting sheep on the ditches and roads in irrigated areas giving the
landowner one-half the gain in weight for the grass consumed., :.1\:. :" '' 4Xah t rip
-4. -
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Kempner, Daniel W. (Daniel Webster), 1877-1956. [Memorandum for West Texas Trip], text, April 24, 1951; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1012764/m1/3/?q=%221951~%22: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rosenberg Library.