The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1894-05-26
Valuable information,
caafERoY COUNTY:

! Cameron County IS the extreme
southern county of Texas. 1t Is
separated from Mexico by the Rio
| Grande on the south aud has about
100 miles of gulf coast as IFS eastern
boundary. 1t was organized in 1S4S,
and contains S3O8 square miles.
Farming and stock raising are the
principal industries of the people.
the location, climate and soil being
admirably adapted for both. The
greater rortion of the soil is rich
Iaom, and produces an exceedingly
heavy yield of both cotton and corn.
the chief farm products Two, and
sometimes three crops of corn, aver
aging from fifty to seventy bushels
per acre. are 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 Desare best adapted
for the production of vegetables and
fruits. Vegetables of al kinds grow
all the year around, aud northern
people are astonished to find toma-
toes, lettuce. spinach, English pease,
etc., served fresh from the gardens
in rnidwinter. This is undoubtedly
the paradise of truck gardeners. and
so soon as rail transportation is CD.
tanned Cameron county vegetables
by the car load will be shipped to
northern markets during winter ard
early spring, and will obtain the
highest prices, as there will be no
competition. This is due to cur ex
ceedingly mild climate. Frequently
the entire winter passes without
single frost, and there is rsrely even
any cold weather before Christmas
Fruit Gu 'ture hes not been attempted
in this county on large scale, but
there is one large banana plantation
on which this delicious fruit yields
most abundantly aud in the greatest
perfection Grapes are also raised
extensively, growing in almost every
yard. They ripen from two TO four
weeks earlier than in any other sec
ton, Macy planters here make
all of their own table wines. Oranges
and lemons also grow in profusi0n.
and this section could easily be made
to rival Flor la in the production o!
oranges. Sugar cane is also One Of
the most important pyoduc of tbs
valley. Tee Rio Grande plantation
of Mr.. Geo. Bralay and the Rabb-
S;ar"k plantation produce great guam
titres of cane, which is all manufac-
'nred on the Rio Grande plantation.
.'his cane makes sugar which is pro-
nounced by experts to be even supe
rior to the best Louisiana product
Havana tobBcco has also proven a
success bere, Col. j. G Tucker hav
ing made some most successful ex-
perinents with it; his samples were
classed by New Yo,k buyers as equal
to the best Havana.
The county is watered by the Rio
Grande with its ample flow along
the southern boundary, and runner
Gus small streams called "arrOyos"
and ''resacas."
The population of Cameron county,
according to the census of 1890, is
Is. 424. Brownsville. the count,
seat. has population of about 1000.
PCiut Isabel, the seaport of the
county. has about 400 inhabitants.
and Santa Maria, a growing little
'ver settlement. has about $50.
Improved lands sell for from SIS to
$25 per acre, unimproved Tor from 81
to Sc per acre The average taxa
BILE value of land is 81. There are
S2,240 ocres Of school land in III
county. The comfy has a total schooi
population of 1911, and gives EN-
ploYwent to = teachers The aver