The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1897-03-26


separated from Mexico by the Rio
Grande on the south and has about
| 100 miles of gulf coast as It's east
ern boundary. 1t was organized in
| 1848, and contains 1903 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 a
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 fftv 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
J 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
of all kinds grow all the year
around, and northern people are as
tonis1Fd to find tomatoes, lettuce,
spinach, English peas, etc, served
fresh from the gardens in midwln-
ter. This is undoubtedly the par
adise of truck 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
quentIy the entire winter passes
without single frost, and there is
rarely ever any cold weather before
Christmas. Fruit culture has not
been attempted in this county on a
korge scale, but there is one large
bahama plantation on which this
delicious fruit yields most abund-
! antly and in the greatest perfection.
Grapes are also raised extensively,
growing in almost every yard. They
ripeD 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 profusion,
and this section could easily be
made to rival Florida in the pro-
dnction of oranges. Sugar cane is
: also one of the most important pro-
; pucts of this valley. The Rio
| Grande plantation of Mr.. Geo. Bru-
Law and the Rabb Starck plantation
produce great quantities of cane,
which is all manufactured on the
Rio Grande plantation This cane
makes sugar which is pronouncedby
experts to be even superior to the
best Louisiana product. Havana
tobacco has also proven a success
here, Col. J. G.. Tucker having
made some most successful expert
menfs with it; his samples were
clasSed hv New York buyers as
equal to che best Havana.
The comfy is watered by the Rio
Grande with it's ample flow along
the southern boundary, and mum
erous small streams ca led arroyo,
and "resaeas."
The population of Cameron coun-
ty according to the census of 1890
is 1924. Brownsville, the county
seat, has a population Of about
1000, Point Isabel, the seaport oil
the county, has about 400 inhabi-
tants and Santa Maria, a growing
little river settlement, has about250
Improved lands sell for from s.
to S25 per acre, unimproved fol
from 50 to Sc per acre. The aver.
age taxable vai6e of land Is 81
There are 82,240 acres of schoo
land in the county. The county
has total school population O
400, and gives employment to 81
, teachers The average length o
the school term is five months. Tn
total tuition revenue received ffon
!. the State is $13 600. There are
number of public schools in th
county, affording ample educationa
advantages.
:, Homeseekers are gradually be
ginning tn find their way to. thi
is land where farmers can work in tn
open air 365 days in the year. BIZ
lit is comparatively undeveloped a
, yet. With the building of tn
4 a 0r