The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1896-12-26

Cameron County is the extreme
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
184S, 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 d
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
/ y, 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 i'll midwln-
ter. This is undoubtedly the par
adise of track 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
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
Fruit culture has not
been attempted in this county on a
large scale, bnt there is one large
banana plantation on which this
fruit yields most abund-
antly and in the greatest perfection.
Grapes are also raised extensively, !
in almost every yard. They
ripen from two to fur weeks ear
Iier than in any other section.
Many planters here make all of
their own table wines. Oranges
and lemons also grow in profusiou,
and this section could easily be
made to rival Florida in the pro-
duction Of oranges Sugar cane is
Blso one Of the most important pro-
puets Of this valley. The Rio
Grandp plantation of Mr. Geo. Bru-
lay and the 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
BEST Louisiana product. Havana
.obaeco has also proven a success
acre, Col. J G. Tucker having I
made some most successful expert /
nents with it; his SAMPLES were
,lassed by New York buyers as
'qual 20 the best Havana.
The county is watered by the Rio
7rande with its ample flow along
he southern boundary, and mum
.rous small streams ca led arroyo,
md "resacas."
The population of Cameron conn
Y according 10 the census of 1890
5 1924. Brownsville, the county
eat, has Il population of about
1000 Point Isabel, the seaport of
he county, has about 400 inhabi-
ants and Santa Maria, growing
title river settlement, has ahout25A
Improved lands sell for from So
% $25 per acre, unimproved for
rom - to So per acre The aver
,ga taxable value of land is 81.
There are 1920 acres of schnol
aud in the county. The comfy |
res total school population Of
400. ard gives employment to 50
-eacher$- he average length Of
he school term is i've months. The
,otaI tnition rpvenne received from
ne State Is Sl3 900 There are a
Of public schools in the
county, afording ample educational
advantages.
Flomeseekers are gradually be-
ginning to find their way to this
r .