The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1896-11-14


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. twas 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 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.
", 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 Gfande 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 III midwIn-
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 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 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 in the greatest perfection.
Grapes are also raised extensively.
growing in almost every yard. They
ri2en 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
mad to rival Florida in the pro-
duction of oranges Sugar cane is
BIso one of the most important pro-
Ducts of this valley. The Rio
Grande plantation of Mr.. Geo Bru-
!ay and She Rabbi 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 be even superior to the
b&t Louisiana prodrst. Havana
tobacco has also proven a success
here, Col. J G. Tucker having
made some most successful expert
menls with it; his samples were
classed by New York buyers a,
equal to the best Havana.
The county is watered by the Rio
Grande with it's ample flow aIone
the southern boundary, and mum
erous small streams ca led arroyo,
and "resacas."
The population of Cameron coun
ty according to the census of 189
is 1924. Brownsville, the count
seat. has a population of ahou
1000 Point Isabel, the seaport q
the county. has about 400 inhab'
tants and Santa Maria, Il GROWN
; little river settlement, has about25j
Improved lands sell for from s
Is to S25 per acre, unimproyed +,
from 81 to Sc per acre The ave
> age taxable value of land is s
There are S2.240 acres of scho
land in the county. The CONT
It has total school population
400, and gives employment to {
teachers. The average length
the school term is live molths. II
total tuition revenue received fro
y the State is S13 600 There are
number Of public schools in Il
county, alfording ample education
o advantages.
Honeseekers are gradually b
ginning to find their way to tn
land where farmers can work in tt
open air 365 DAYS in the year. b,
it is comparatively undeveIoped
I