The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1896-12-23

Cameron County is the extreme
southern county of Texas. 1t i
separated from Mexico by the Rio
Grande on the south and has about
100 miles of gulf coast as It's east
ern boundary. 1t was organized IL
184S, and contains 1908 square
miles. Farming and stock raising
are the principal industries of the
people the location, climate and sol
being admirably adapted for both
The greater portion Of the soil is .
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.
Nv, 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 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 tind tomatoes, lettuce,
spinach, English peas, etc. served
fresh from the gardens i'll 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 he shipped to
northern markets during winter and
early spring, and will obtain the
highest prices, as there will be no
This is due to our
exc sedingIy mild climate. Free
gu ,ntly the entire winter. passes
without a single frost, and there is
I'll ely ever any cold weather before
G .ristmas. Fruit culture has not
been attempted in this county on
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
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 he
mad. to rival Florida in the pro-
duction of oranges Sugar cane is
plso one Of the most important pro-
pucts of this valley The Rio
Grande plantation Of Mr.. Geo Bru-
Law and the Rahb Starck plantation
pronuce graat quantities of cane,
which is ALI manufactured on the
Rio Grande plantation This cane
makes sugar which is produced by
experts 80 he even superior to the
hest Louisiana product. Havana
tobacco has also proven IA success
here, Col. J G. Tucker having
made some most Successful expert
nents with it; his SAMPLES were
,lassed by New York buyers as
equal to the hest Havana.
: The county is watered by the Rio
Rrande with its ample flow along
yhe southern boundary. and mum
.rous small streams called "arroya,"
and "resacas."
The population Of Cameron conn
" according to the census of 1890
IS 1924. Brownsville. the county
seat, has population of about
1000 Point isabel, the seaport Of
he county. has about 400 inhabi-
.ants and Santa Maria, IA growing
little river settlement, has ahoui250
Improved lands sell for from So
To S25 per acre, unimproved for
from g to 81 per acre The aver-
AGE taxable value of land Is 81.
There are S2.240 acres of school
iand in the county. The county
has total school population of
400, and gives employment to 80
teachers The average length of
the school term is live months. The
total tuition revenue received from
bne State is Sl3 600 There are a
OF public schools in the
conaty, aff1rding ample educational
advantages.
seekers are gradually be-
ginning 70 End their way to this
ODD ubara formers can work in the