Rural Life in Texas

• 1846 through 1860, most all Texans lived in farms or ranches.

• the number if farms grew from 12,000 to almost 43,000

• Texans farmed their own land or raised their own cattle instead or working for someone else because land wasn't expensive

• corn was the largest food crop and was a important to the Texans diet.

• Other food crops consisted of- wheat, oats, and sweet potatoes

• Cotton and sugar were the "cash crops"

•Most farmers raised milk cows, hogs and chicken to raise food.

• They raised sheep for wool

• The Texas economy grew because of ranching