The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1896-09-19


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
1913, 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 position 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 of
corn, averaging from fifty to seven-
ty bushels per acre, are raised year.
ly, 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 in midwln-
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
euentIy 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 abund-
antly and in the greatest perfection.
Grapes are also raised extensively,
growing in almost every yard. They
ripen from two to four weeks ear
lier 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 be
made to rival Florida in the pro-
duction of oranges. Sugar cane is
elso one OF the most important pro-
pucts of this valley. The Rio
Graude plantation of MIR. Geo. Bru-
Law and The Rahb Starck plantation
produce graat quantities OF cane
which is all manufactured on the
! Rio Grande plantation This cane
makes sugar which is produced by
experts to he even superior to the
best Louisiana product. Havana
| tobacco has also proven a succes:
here, Col. J G. Tucker having
made some most successful expert.
mehts with it; his samples were
Sclassed by New York buyers a,
equal to the best Havana.
The county is watered by the Ri
Grande with It's ample flow along
the southern boundary, and mum
erous small streams ca led "arroya,
E and "resaeas."
The population of Cameron cum
ty according to the census Of 189l
is 1924. Brownsville, the count
seat, has a population of abou
: 1000 point Isabel, the seaport o
the county. has about 400 inhabi
tants and Santa Maria, IA CROWN,
} little river settlement, has about25t
Improved lands sell for from s
to S25 per acre, unimproved 70
from 50 to Sc per acre. The aver
age taxable value of land is 81
There are 1920 acres of scloc
land in the county. The count
has IA total school population q
/. 400. and gives employment TO s
teachers The average length q
the school term is five months. Th
total tuition revenue received frol
the State is Sl3 600 There are
number of public schools in tn
county, alfording ample educationi
advantages.
Homeseekers are gradually he
ginning to fnd their wav to tin
land where farmers can work in tn
open air 365 DAYS in the year. br