The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1897-02-13

Cameron County IS the extrem'
southern county of Texas. 1t i
: separated from Mexico by the Ri
Grande on the south and has abou
100 miles of gulf coast as its east
ern boundary. It was organized il
1848, and contains 3308 squar,
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 q
rich loan, and produces an exceed
Iingly 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.
Ily, 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 midwln-
ter. This is undoubtedly the par
adise of track gardeners, and Sc
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 nc
competition. This is due to oul
exceedingly mild climate. FIRE.
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 &
large scale, but there is one large
banana plantation on which tbi:
delicious fruit yields most abund'
antly and in the greatest perfection
Grapes are also raised extensively
growing in almost every yard. FheJ
ripen from two to four weeks ear.
lier than in any other section
Many planters here make all OF
their own table wines. Orange;
and lemons also grow in prOfusion
and this section could easily bt
made to rival Florida in the pro-
duction of oranges. Sugar cane i.
else one of the most important pro
pucts of this valley. The Ric
Grande plantation of Mr.. Geo. Bru
lay and the Rabb Starck plantation
produce graat quantities of cane
which IS all manufactured on thu
Rio Grande plantation This can,
makes sugar which is produced b.
experts to be even superior to th,
best Louisiana product. Havan;
tobacco has also proven a success
here, Col J G. Thicker having
made some most successful expert
merits with it; his samples wer'
classed by New York buyers a
equal to the best Havana.
The county is wafered by the Ri
j Grande with It's ample flow aIons
the southern boundary, and mum
erous small streams ca led '-arroya.
and "resacas."
The population of Cameron couu
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, a growing
r little river settlement, has ahout25n
Improved lands sell for from 8:
to S25 per acre. unimproved 70
from 81 to SIS per acre. The aver
aye taxable value of land is 81
There are 1920 acres of schoo
{ land in the county. The count,
has a total 5 hooI population o
400, AID gives employment to 81
teachers he average length o
| the school term IS five months. Ri,
total tuition revenue received from
the State is Sl3 900 There are
number of pnblic schools in tn.
county, affording ample edncationa
advantages.
Han,osNeAers are gradually be
ginning to End their way to thi
land where farmers can work In TIL,
open air 5t55 DAYS in tho year. bu
it is comparatively undevelopel a
yet. With the building of tn,