The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1897-02-17

1
southern county of Texas. 1t Is
separated from Mexico by the Ric
Grande on the south and has about
100 miles of gulf coast as its east
ern boundary. 1t was organized in
1913, 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 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 fiftv to seVen>
tY bushels per acre, are raised year
lIy, 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 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. 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 4
large scale, bnt there is one large
banana 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
ri2en 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 BIZ
made TO rival Florida in the pro,
lduction Of oranges. Sugar cane i.
elso one of the most important pro
puets of this valley. The Ric
Grande plantation of Mr. Geo. Bru
Law and the Rahb Starck plantation
produce great quantities of cane
which is all manufactured on tn,
Rio Grande plantation This can,
| makes sugar which is produced BY
experts to be even superior TO tn,
best Louisiana product. Havana
tobacco has also proven a success
here, Col. J G. Tucker havin.
made some most successful expert
ments with it; his samples wer,
classed by New York buyers a
equal to the best Havana.
The county is watered by the Ri
Grande with its ample flow alon.
the southern boundary, and mum
erous small streams ca led ''arroya,
and ''resacas."
The population of Cameron conn
Ety according to the census of 1885
lis 1924. Brownsville, the CONT,
seat, has a population of ahou
1000 Point Isabel, the seaport o
the county. has about 400 inhabi
tantS and Santa Maria. a GROWN!
little river settlement, has ahout25O
Improved lands sell for from S
to $50 per acre, nnimproved 70
from 50 to SIS per acre. The aver
age taxable value of land is 81
There are S2.240 acres of schoo
land in the county. The count
has total school population o
AGO, ard gives employment to 8
teachers The average length @
the school term is five moaths. | h
total tuition revenue received from
the State is $13 900 There are
number of pnhlic schools IN tn
county, affording ample edueationa
advantages.
HomAsenkers are gradually be
ginning to ind their way to TIN
land where farmers can work In tn
open air 365 DAYS in the year. bu
it is comparatively undeveloppd a
VET WITH the baiIding Of th
IailroaF 30 Gorpvs Christi. however,