The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1896-11-20


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
IS48, and contains 1903 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 u
rich loan, and produces an exceed
ingly heavy yield of both cotton
and corn the chief farm products.
Two, and sometimes three crops of
corn, averaging from fifty to seVen>
| ty bushels per acre, are raised year
liz, while cotton will easily yield
from one to two bales per acres.
| Grasses grow all the year, and stock
find pasturae 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 the production of
vegetables and fruits. Vegetables
af all kinds grow all the year
Ground, and northern people are as
tonished to find tomatoes, lettuce,
spinach, English peas, etc, served
fresh from the gardens i'll midwln-
ter. This is undoubtedly the par
adise of track 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 aud
, early spring, and will obtain the
highest prices, as there will be nc
competition. This is due to our
exceedingly mild climate. Free
! quentIy the entire winter passes
without single frost, and there i:
= rarely ever anv cold weather before
Christmas. Fruit culture has moi
been attempted in this county on /
large scale, but there IS one large
banana plantation on which thi:
delicious fruit yields most ahund
antly and in the greatest perfection
Grapes are also raised extensively
growing in almost every yard. The,
ri2en from two to four weeks ear
lier than in any other section
Many planters here make all o
their own table wines. Orange
and lemons also grow in profusion
and this section could easily b
made tn rival Florida III the pro
duction Of oranges Sugar cane
glso one Of the most important pro
pucts Of this valley. The hi
Grande plantation of Mr.. Geo. Bru
Law and The Rabb Starck plantatio
produce graat quantities OF cane
which is all manufactured on tn
Rio Grande plantation This car
makes sugar which is produced b
experts to he even superior to tn
best Louisiana product. Havan
tobacco has also proven success
here, Col. J G. Tucker havin
made some most successful exper
ments with it; his samples wei
3, classed by New York buyers I
equal to the hest Havana.
The county is watered by the r
Grande with its ample flow alor
]" the southern boundary, and nun
erous small streams called arroyo
and "resacas."
The population of Cameron con
lC- tv according to the census of IS
is 1924. Brownsville, the cOnn
his seat, has a population of abe
1000 Point Isabel, the seaport
ne the county, has about 400 inha
tants and Santa Maria, u grow
little river settlement, has about2i
Improved lands sell for from
to S25 per acre, unimproved
from 81 to Sc per acre The av
age taxable value of land is
There are S2,240 acres of sch,
land in the county. The cour
has total school population
400. aad gives employment to
Co teachers. The average length
| the school term is tive months. }
- total tuition revenue received fr
,ru, the State is Sl3 600 There are
edi- number of public schools in
reat county, affording ample education
IT advantages.
. Honie5eekers are gradually
ginning to End their way to t
- land where farmers can work in
= open air 365 days in the year,
" It IS comparatively unaevpIoped
Ell vet. w til the building of