The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1896-09-05

Cameron County Is the extreme
southern county of Texas. 1t is
separated from Mexico by the Rio
Grande on the south and has about
100 miles of gulf coast as its east
ern boundary. 1t was organized in
1848, and contains 1908 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 portion of the soil is a
rich loan, and produces an exceed
ingly heavy yield of both cotton
and corn the chief farm products
Two. and sometimes three crops #
corn, averaging from fifty to Sevei-
ty bushels per acre, are raised year
", while cotton will easily Weld
from one to two bales pc RS
Grasses grow all the wear. d I eK
find PASTURE without heiug fed N
sheltered during the winter But
the soil and climate of the Lover
Rio Grande Val ey are by nature
best adapted for the production of
vegetables and fruits. Vegetables
af all kinds grow all the year
Ground, and northern people are as
tonished to lind tomatoes, lettuce,
spinach, English peas, etc, served
fresh from the gardens in midwIn-
ter. This is undoubtedly the par
adise of truck gardeners, and so
soon as rail transportation is oh
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 be no
competition. This is due to our
exceedingly mild climate. Free
quently the entire winter passes
without a single frost, and there is
rarely ever any cold weather before
Christmas. Fruit culture has not
been attempted in this county on a
large scale, but there is one large
banana plantation on which this
delicious fruit yields most ahund-
antly and i'll the greatest perfection.
Grapes are also raised extensively,
growing in almost every yard. They
ripen from tVo to four weeks ear
her than in any other section.
Many planters here make all of
their own table wines. Oranges
and lemons also grow in profusion,
and this section could easily he
made to rival Florida in the pro-
duction of oranges Sugar cane *
Rlso one of the most Important pro
puctS of this valley. The Rio
Grande plantation of Mr. Goo Bru-
Law and The Rahh Starck planfaiir-
produce graat quantities of caue.
which is all manufactured on fhe
Rio Grande plantation This ranp
makes sugar which i prrdr"-A -,
experts 10 he even Snprrior 81
best Louisiana prodncf 2
tobacco has also proven Sn.r
here, Col J G. Thicker hayu,4
made some most successful expert
mehts with it; his samnle. wee
classed by New York buyers rs
equal to the hest Havana.
The comfy is wafered nv the Rin
Grande with it, ample flow along
the southern boundary. and nun
erous small streams Ca led "arroya,"
and "resacas."
The population of Cameron conn
ty according to the census of 1890
is 1924. Brownsville, the county
seat, has a population of about
1000 Point Isabel, the seaport of
the county. has about 400 inhabi-
tants and Santa Maria, growing
little river settlement, has ahout25O
Improved lands sell for from 81
to $50 per acre, unimproved tol
from g to Sc per acre The aver
age taxable value of land is 81
There are 1920 acres of schoo
land in the county. The county
has 1t total school population oi
400, AID gives employment to sc
teachers The average length OF
the school term is tive months. The
total tuition revenue received from
the State is Sl3 600 There are =
NUMBER of public schools in the
county, affrrding ample educational
advantages.
Homeseekers are gradually be-
ginning to find their way to thi,
land where farmers can work in the
open air 365 days in the year. bat
it is comparatively undevploped as
vet, w til tie buildiuo az the