The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1894-05-17
Valuable Information,
CAMERON COUNTY:


southern county of Texas. 1t is
separated from Mexico by the Rio
Granda on the sonth and has about
100 miles Of gulf coast as iis eastern
boundary. 1t was organized in ls4s,
aud eontains ss0s sqaare miles.
Farming and stock raising are the
principal Industries of the people,
the location, climate aAd soil being
admirably adapted for bath, The
greater feFtiaA Of the sell 10 a rich
laem, and produces all exceedingly
heavy yield Of beth eaten aud corn.
the chief farm products, Two. aud
sometimes three eteps Of eera. aver
aging fgem fNy to seventy buahela
per ssre, ara raised yearly. while
eettee will easily yield from one TO
TIVE bslea per acre. Grasses grow
all The year aud stock find pastur.
age without being fed or sheltered
during the winter. Bot The soil and
climate of the Lower Rio Grande
Valley are by nature best adapted
Tor the production of vegetables and
fruits. Vegetables of all kinds grow
all the year around, and northern
people are astonished to find toma-
toes, lettuce. spinach, English pesse,
ETC., served fresh from the gardens
in midwinter. This is undoubtedly
the paradise of truck gardeners. and
so soon as rail transportation is OBJ.
tanned Cameron county vegetables
by the car load will be shipped to
northern markets during winter and
early spring, and will obtain the
highest prices. as there will lie no
competition. This is due to cur ex
ceedingly mild climate. Frequently
the entire winter passes without
single frost, and there is rsrely ever
any cold weather before Christmas.
Fruit culture has not been attempted
in this county on large scale, bnt
there is one large banana plantation
on which this delicious fruit yields
most abundantly and in the greatest
perfection. Grapes are also raised
extensively, growing in almost every
yard. They ripen from two TO four
weeks earlier than 10 any other Sec
ton. Many planters here make
all of their own table wines. Oranges
and lemons also grow in profusion,
and this section could easily be made
to rival Florida in the production of
oranges. Sugar cane is also one of
the most important products of this
valley. TIE Rio Grande plantation
of Mr.. Geo. Bralay and the Rabbi
Stark plantation produce great guam
titles of cane. which is all manufac-
'ured on the Rio Grande plantation.
Ibis cane makes sugar whieh is pro-
nounced by experts to be even supe-
rior to the best Louisiana product.
Havana tobacco has also proven
SUCCESS here, Col. j. G Tucker hav-
ing made some most successful ex-
perinents with it; his samples were
classed by New York buyers as equal
to the best Havana.
The county is watered by the Rio
Grande with its ample flow along
the southern boundary. and rumer-
aus small streams called "arroyos"
and ''resacas."
The population of Cameron county.
according to the census of 1890. is
Is. 424. Brownsville. the county
seat, has q population of shout 1000.
Point Isabel, the seaport of the
county, has about 400 inhabitants.
and Santa Maria, growing little
iver settlement, has about $50.
Improved lands sell Tor from SIS to
S25 per acre, unimproved for from 50 |
to So per acre The average taxa
bic value of land is 81. There are
S2,240 acres Of school land in the
county. The county has total school
population of 3271. and gives EN-
ployment to - teachers The aver
age length of the school term is FIVE
months. The total tuition revenue