The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1896-12-03

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 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, ard stock
find pastnrae without being fed or
sheltered during the winter. But
the soil aud climate of the Lower
Rio GtAnde 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 find tomatoes, lettuce,
spinach, English peas, etc, served
fresh from the gardens IN 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
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 anv cod 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
ri7en 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,
aud this section could easily he
made to rival Florida in the pro-
duction OF oranges Sugar cane is
ulso one of the most important pro-
pucts of this valley The Rio
5irande plantation.of SIR. Geo Bru-
Law and the Rabb Starck plantations
produce gr7at quantities of cane,
when is all manufactured on the
Rio Grande plantation This care
makes sugar which is produced by
experts to he even superior to the
hest louisiana product. Havana
tobacco has also proven success
here, Col. J G. Tucker having
made some most successful expert
ments with it; his SAMPLES were
cIassed by New York buyers as
equal to the best Havana.
The county is waterpd bv the Rir
Grande with it's 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 1S9
is 1924. Brownsville, the CONT
seat, has a population of abou
1000 Point Isabel. the seaport Q
the county. HIS about 400 inhab
tants and Santa Maria, GROWN
= little river settlement, has ahout25i
Improved lands sell for from s
to S25 per acre, unimproved +,
t from 81 to So per acre The ave
age taxable valup of land is s
There are S2.240 acres Of Sclo
land in the county. The count
has total school population
{ 400, AID givAs employment to
taachprs. The average length
the school term is i've moaths. II
y total tuition revenue received fro
the State is $4,000 There are
number of public schools III ii
county. affording ample education
advantages.
Homeseekers are gradually h,
I ginuing to find their way to tn
1 land where farmers can work in IL
onen air 3G5 DAYS in the year. hi
j, it is comparatively undevploped ;
vet. WITH the bnildmg of ii
y Iailroad to Corpvs Christi. how4ve
n great infuy of settlers NAV |