The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1894-04-13
Valuable information
CAMERON COUNTY:

Sou0Sy IL the extreme
southern county of Texas. 1t is
separated from Mexico by the Rio
Graade en- .the south aud has about
1GB miles Of gulf coast as IFS eastern
boundary. 1t YES organized ia lS4S,
ard coneains 330S square miles.
Farming aud stock raising E the
principal industries OF the people.
the location. climate and soil being
admirably adapted for both. The
greater tortion OF the soil is a rich
iaoue, aud produces 40 exceedingly
heavy yield of both cotton nnd cora,
the chief farm products. Two, aud
sometimes three crops of corn, aver
aging from fifty TO seventy bushels
per acre. ara raised yearly, while
. cotton will easily yield from one to
two bales per acre: Grasses grow
all the year, and stock find pastur
age without being fed or sheltered
during the winter. But the soil and
climate Of the Lower Rio Grande
Valley are by nature best adapted
for tbs production of vegetables aud
fruits. Vegetables Of al kinds grow
sill the year around, and northern
people are astonished to End toma-
toes, lettuce. spinach, English pease,
etc., served fresh from the gardens
IL midwinter. This is undoubtedly
the paradise of truck gardeners, and
so soon as rail transportation is OBJ
tained Cameron county vegetables
by the car load will be shipped to
northern markets during winter AID
early spring, and will obtain the
highest prices, as there will be no
competition. This ia due TO chr ex
ceediugly nild climate. Frequently
the entire winter passes without 0
single frost. and there is rs'eiy ever
any cold weather before Christmas
Fruit culture has not been attempted
in this county on a large scale. bnt
there is one large bapaua plantation
On which this delicious fruit yields
most s~bundantIy aud in the gieatesi
perfection. Grapes are also raised
extensively, growing in almost every
yard. They sipen from two TO fonE
( weeks eaTlier than IN any other sec
sioa, Many planters here make
al Of their own table wines. Oranges
and lemons also grow il p~rofusisn,
aud this section could easily be made
10 rival Fioril Ia in the production OF
oranges. Sugar cane is also one Of
the most important products of til S
valley. Toe Rio Grande plantation
Of Mr. Geo Br2lay and the Rabbi
Stark plantation produce great guam
titles of cane, which is all mannfac-
.qred OF the Rio Grande plantation.
his cane makes sugar WHICH is pro-
nOanced by experts to be even supe-
rior to the best Louisiana product
Havana tobacco has also proven a
success here, Col. j. G. Tucker hav-
ing made some most successful ex-
periments with it; his samples were
~olassed by New Yo.k buyers as eqnal
% the best Havana.
The county is watered by the Ri''
Grgnde with its ample flow along
the southern boundary. aud Tuner
GUS small streams called 'arroyos'
md "~resscas."
The population of Cameron county,
according to the census of 1890 is
i3, 424. Brownsville. the county
seat, has e population Of about 1000,
Poins Isabel. the seaport Of the
county, has about 400 inhabitants
nd Santa Maria, a growing little
y1r settlement. hes about $50.
Improved lands sell TOR rom SIS tc
325 per acre, unimproved Tor from s.
TO So per acre The average taxi
bic value of land is 81. There are
S2.24O acres IF school lard in tbs
county. The county has IA total schoo
~n,nnlstiop If 327I, and gives EN-