CLIMATE AND SOIL.

The climate of this section seems congenial to the Italians, and is mild and pleasant the year round. The temperature runs high at times in summer, but the winters are so mild that roses bloom throughout the year. The gulf breeze moderates the heat during the summer, and the nights are always cool and refreshing. Not only is it a healthful spot, but it is admirably adapted to trucking. The rainfall is more than sufficient for ordinary crops, but in some years it is very unevenly distributed, the average rainfall being 50 inches per annum. Surface wells from 15 to 30 feet deep furnish an abundance of pure water, and flowing wells are easily bored at a depth of from 500 to 700 feet, furnishing a good supply of water.

Drainage is secured by means of bayous, which with their small tributaries, drain the country of all surplus water. The land is slightly rolling, broken up occasionally by these streams. Much of the soil is black clay loam, while the remainder is of the Calcasieu fine sandy loam type, which is the principal truck soil, for the black clay proves too heavy and is much better suited for raising rice.

The small plots of ground owned by the Italians, the majority of them under 10 acres and many of them only 2, 3, or 5 acres, are not adapted to any but market garden crops or small fruits. The settlers carry on a "little culture," and on their small farms the Italians are easily able to raise enough produce to give them a very substantial living. The strawberry is the chief crop in the vicinity of Dickinson, and a large part of the berries go to northern markets.

AGRICULTURE.

Most of the Italians were farmers in Italy and have followed that occupation in this country. They introduced the strawberry into this locality and have carried it to a high state of development commercially. Of course they have had reverses, but on the whole they have succeeded better than the non-Italian farmers in this community and have succeeded in firmly establishing on a fairly remunerative basis a highly specialized agriculture. The Nooman variety of berry is raised chiefly, since this stands shipment best. The women and children aid materially, for the children and women can pick the berries and cultivate plants as well as the men.

The first car of berries shipped from Dickinson by express in 1909 was on April 5, and the last car went on May 8. Between these dates 33 cars of berries were shipped by express. Previous to the shipments in car lots many small consignments were shipped separately by express, making a total of 47,985 crates of strawberries, netting the farmers $80,230.50 during the season of 1909. The Italians are busied with the strawberry crop only three months of the year. The remainder of the year they devote to their gardens, raising potatoes, beans, cabbage, celery, cauliflower, cucumbers, canteloupes, tomatoes, and onions. All these vegetables, with the exception of celery, are ready for the market in from seventy-five to eighty days after planting, and it is said that three crops a year are possible in the case of most of them. The figures next presented, taken from the books of the express companies, show the shipments made during the year ending May 20, 1908, in addition to the strawberries.

In 1908, 30,062 crates of strawberries, netting the farmers $67,135.20, were sent out by express. The first car shipped in 1908 was on March 26 and the last on May 8. Thus a total of over $84,000 of produce was handled by the express companies from this settlement in 1908. These Italians realize from $75 to $150 per acre from all crops raised. A total of 800 acres is devoted to strawberries and truck, and about 90 per cent of this land is operated by Italians. A few of the Italians have small areas planted to figs, which thrive well in this soil and climate, bearing the third year and yielding good returns. The Satsuma orange is grown to some extent, although no large orchards have been set out. This orange when grafted on the trifoliata stock seems to do well. The tree bears the third year, and good crops are obtained. The orange is small, rather flat, with a thin skin, and has a delicious flavor. The demand for the fruit is rapidly growing, and the Italians that have a number of trees planted will doubtless find the industry profitable.

A little hay and corn is raised to feed their stock, but the farms owned by the Italians are too small and the land too valuable to devote to pasture. In most instances they go to the prairie, where the land is not settled, and cut enough grass for hay.

Their houses are small two or three room frame structures. Some are very attractive. They are neatly painted, and many have flower gardens in the front yards, scattered in among beds of vegetables. The Italian seems to love flowers, but he needs all available space for other crops. Hence the flower beds are the odd spaces and corners that can not be conveniently cultivated, and hence the two varieties of gardens, flowers, and vegetable crops mixed in together. The barns are generally small structures, built of rough boards, not weatherproof, and are about 10 feet square, with perhaps a "lean-to" at the side for the farm wagon.

The shipping facilities are good. The town is on the direct line of the Galveston, Houston and Henderson Railroad. The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe and the Southern Pacific railroads are within driving distance of the town. The wagon roads are in good condition the year round.

Most of the crops are shipped by railroad, as shown by the figures already given. There is a good local demand both in Houston and Galveston for vegetables, which is supplied partly by this town. Most of the carload lots of strawberries are shipped northward, but the single case shipments are all sent to one of these two cities.

The Dickinson Growers' Association" is a business cooperative association in which the Italians are in the majority and hold all the prominent offices. The members of the society sell all their products through a sales agent, who places the vegetables in the markets that offer the best prices. This organization has been beneficial in obtain

ing better returns, disposing of berries promptly, and securing rebates on commissions.

PROPERTY OWNED.

About 110 Italians own their farms and 15 are tenants. Of those that own their property, the majority are free from debt. Italians came to the locality without funds, but after two or three years spent in raising crops "on shares" they bought farms of their own. The following are typical instances: One man came from Italy in 1890 with his family and $1 in money. For three years he worked "on shares" for one-half of the vegetable crop; then he bought 8 acres of land for $455, paying $300 in cash and giving a mortgage for the rest, with interest at 8 per cent. He now has a comfortable home, 13 acres of land, valued at $1,000, on 8 acres of which during 1908 he raised $600 worth of strawberries and $200 worth of vegetables.

Another man came from Bryan, Tex., in 1907 and paid $1,000 cash for land. This included a house and barn and 5 acres of uncleared land. He cleared this land, planted 4 acres, and received $500 from the vegetables and strawberries sold in 1908.

Within the past three years the Italians have been rather rapidly buying all the available land and have taken more interest in improving their farms. The Italians do not use the banks; they send very little money away through the post-offices, and until recently have spent little upon their homes. Lately they have been buying new farm machinery, harnesses, and wagons.

STANDARD OF LIVING.

The interiors of some of the houses are well furnished, others are very plain, and none have much modern furniture. The food is plain; the vegetables raised on the farms furnish the tables during eight months of the year. Chickens and cows contribute largely to the food supply. Health conditions are good.

The women and children, as is the case in the majority of Italian communities, help the men in the farm work. In the growing of garden crops much of the cultivation and harvesting has to be done by hand, and an Italian with his large family is able to cultivate a large area more carefully than an American.

In Dickinson four stores are conducted by the Italians, who practically control the trade of the town. Both Italians and Americans patronize them. In the immediate locality there is no outside employment for the Italians. Farming is the chief occupation and there is no industrial work. In Houston and Galveston there is always a demand for unskilled labor, and construction work on the railroad offers opportunities for Italian laborers. There is a Catholic church in town, and services are held once a month, the priest coming from Galveston. The Italians all attend this church, and some come from farms 8 or 10 miles away. In the public schools 175 Italians were enrolled in 1909, but in attendance they are very irregular, as their parents require them to stay at home whenever there is work to be done on the farm.

Many of the Italians are voters, although they have not taken out their final papers. Under the laws of Texas an alien can vote on taking out his first naturalization papers, and many of the Italians

have done so. Up to the present time none of the Italians have held any public office, and few, if any, seem to have a desire to do so.

The Italians are said to be honest, and the townspeople have very little fault to find with them in business. They are prompt in paying their bills and taxes. There is very little drunkenness and little trouble arises from excessive drinking. The few misdemeanors that occur are settled among themselves and seldom come before the courts. Morally they average well when compared with other foreigners in the State. The Italians are now the most substantial part of Dickinson, and the Americans that are left are slowly selling their property to them. This town compares favorably with such towns as Kenner and Independence, La.

There has been no marriage between the Italians and the Americans or between them and the few German families that are in the locality.

The following table is a summary of the schedules secured by an agent of the Commission from eight typical South Italian families in the Dickinson colony.

The vegetables raised for home consumption do not appear in the schedules, where it would seem that the settlers sell practically all the produce they raise. The values of produce sold per farm are nearly equal. However, it is interesting to note the differences in the values of the produce sold by certain farmers each owning 5 acres of land. Two produced, as an average for 1908 and 1909, $300 worth of truck per farm; one $450, and two $500 worth. These farms nearly adjoin each other, and yet there is a difference of $200 per farm between the lowest and the highest.

TABLE 69.-Economic condition of certain typical South Italian families, Dickinson, Tex.

The first Italian settler came to Alto Lomo from Galveston, fifteen years ago. There are now in this town about twenty Italian families who give their attention to raising garden produce.

At Lamarque there are three Italian families, and at Arcadia six. At these two places the Italians have settled within the last ten years, having drifted in from other localities in Texas, and engaged in the raising of various kinds of garden vegetables.

These small farmers in the towns previously mentioned sell all their produce in Galveston or Houston. The towns are all on a line of railroad and it is an easy matter for the farmers to haul their crops to the railroad station and secure quick delivery in one or the other of the cities mentioned.

At Little York, situated about 8 miles from Houston, is an Italian farming section where are located about 75 families. The first Italians came to Little York eleven years ago. The majority have worked either in the cities or in other farming localities where Italians are found, and have moved there to be near a market. The Italians constitute the largest part of the truck gardeners around Houston, although there are many Germans and four Japanese engaged in this industry. These Italians haul their produce to Houston in the early morning to get their position at the city market and have their vegetables ready to display when the market opens at 5 a. m.

Four miles out from Beaumont is located another Italian farming section where are about twenty-five Italians, somewhat scattered, owning their places and engaged in market gardening.

In Texas, wherever the Italians have been engaged in agriculture, they have proved successful, in some instances making money on areas that were looked upon as unproductive and introducing new varieties of fruit and vegetables in localities where they were hitherto unknown. Immediately upon arrival they begin to adopt American food and dress, and within a few years the majority buy homes of their own. After those have been paid for they buy more land or make improvements on their properties.