The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1896-10-23


southern county of Texas. 1t IS
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 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
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 midwIn-
ter. This is undoubtedly the par
adise of truck gardeners, and so
soon as rail transportation is OBJ
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 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 profusiou
land this section could easily be
made to rival Florida in the pro-
| ductiOn Of oranges Sugar cane j:
plso one Of the most important pro.
puets of this valley. The RiC
Graude plantation of Mr.. Geo Bru-
lay and Che Rabh Starck plantation
produce graat quantities of cane
which is all manufactured on the
Rio Grande plantation This care
lmakes sugar which is produced by
Iexperts to be even superior to the
best Louisiana product. Havana
tobacco has also proven success.
here, Col. J. 6. Tucker having
made some most successful expert.
mehts with it; his SAMPLES were
classed by New York buyers a,
equal to the best Havana.
The comfy is watered by the Rio
Grande with its ample flow along
the southern boundary, and mum
erous small streams ca led arroyo,
and "resacas."
The population of Cameron conn
ty according to the census of 1891
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, CROWN,
little river settlement, has about25C
Improved lands sell FOR from s
to S25 per acre, unimproved 70
from - to Sc per acre The aver
age taxable value of land is 81
There are S2.240 acres of schoc
land in the county. The count
, has total s"bool population q
4400, and gives employment to 8
teachers. The average length &
the school term is tive months. ! h
total tuition revenue received frol
the State is Sl3 600 There are
number Of public schools in til
county, affording ample education'
advantages.
Homeseekers are gradually be
ginning to lind their way to tn
e land where farmers can work in tn