The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1896-09-29

southern County VI 1cAdo. ~ 10
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
1S4S, 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 severn
ty bushels per acre, are raised year
lly, 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 Val ey are by nature
best adapted for the production of
vegetables and fruits. Vegetables
az all kinds grow all the year
Ground, and northern people are as
tonished to lind 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 oh
tanned Cameron county vegetables
by the car load will be shipped to
mort hern 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
1uently the entire winter passes
without single frost, and there is
rarely ever any cod weather before
Christmas. Fruit culture has not
been attempted in this county on 2
large scale, but there is one large
banana plantation on which thi:
delicious fruit yields most ahund-
antlv and in the greatest perfection
irapes are also raised extensively
growing in almost every yard. They
ri7en from two to four weeks ear
lier than in any other section
Many planters here make all o
their own table wines. Orange
and lemons also grow in profusion
aud this section could easily ID
made to rival Florida in the pro
duction Of oranges Sugar cane !
elso one of the most important pro
pucts of this valley. The Ri
Grande plantation of Mr.. Geo Bru
Law and She rabbi Starck plantation
produce gr4at-quantities of cane
: which is all manufactured on tn
Rio Grande plantation This can
makes sugar which is produced b
Experts to he even superior to- tn
nest Louisiana prodhct. Hawai-,
= tobacco has also proven Il sncces
here, Col. J G. Tucker havin
made some most successful exper
70 mehfs with it; his samnleS wer
elassed bv New York buyers {
equal to the hest Havana.
! he county is watered by the Ri
Grande with its ample flow alon
the southern boundary, and nun
Y erous small streams Ca led arroyo
and "resacas."
The population of Cameron coui
n ~ according to the census of 18S
is 1924 Brownsville, the CONT
: seat, has a population of abor
1000 Point Isabel, the seaport
), he conuty. has about 400 inhab
= tanis and Santa Maria, "a GROWN
~ little river settlement, has ahout25
|, Improved lands sell for from
to $25 per acre, unimproyed j
- from 81 to 81 per acre The ave
, age thXahle Vaiue or lana Is ;
II There are 1920 acres of scho
~ land in the county. The conn
has total school population
400, aad gives employment to
teachers The average length
the school term is i've moaths. I
total tnition revenue received fro
the State is SIS 600 There are
number Of public schools in t
county, affording ample education
advantages.
Homeseekers are gradually /
ginning to find their way to ii
land where farmers eau work in t
open air $50 DAYS in the year. h
it is comparatively undeveloped
- M a., A., hill. r l