The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1897-02-22

Cameron County is the extreme
southern county of Texas. 1t is
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
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 fifty to seven-
ty bushels per acre, are raised year.
lily, 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
of all kinds grow all the year
around, 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
Ecompetition. This is due to our
exceedingly mild climate. FIRE.
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
large scale, bnt there is one large
banana plantation on which this
delicious fruit yields most ahund-
antIy and in the greatest perfection.
Grapes are also raised extensively,
growing in almost every yard. They
ripen from two to four weeks ear
lIier than in any other section.
Many planters here make all OF
their own table wines. Oranges
and lemons also grow in profusiou
land this section could easily be
made to rival Florida in the pro-
duction of oranges. Sugar cane is
also one of the most important pro-
pucts of this valley. The Rio
Grande plantation of Mr.. Geo. Bru-
lay and the Rabb Starek plantation
produce great quantities OF cane
which is all manufactured on the
Rio Grande plantation This cane
makes sugar which is pronouncedbJ
experts to be even superior to the
hest Louisiana product. Havana
: tobacco has also proven a success:
here, Col. J G.. Tucker having
made some most successful expert
ments with it; his samples wee
eIassed by New York buyers a
equal to the best Havana.
The county is watered by the Rit
Grande with It's ample flow alons
the southern boundary, and mum
prous small streams ca led ''arroya,
and ''resaeas."
The population of Cameron conn
ty according to the census of 1885,
is 1924. Brownsville, the county
seat, has a population of abou
1000, Point Isabel, tie seaport o.
the county. has about 400 Inhabi
tants and Santa Maria. a growing
!, little river settlement, has ahout250
e Improved lands sell for from s;
to $25 per acre, unimproved TO
from g to So per acre. The aver
= age taxable value of land is 81
Z There are 1920 acres of schoo
n land in the county. The count
L has a total school population q
> 400, aad gives employment to 8
n teachers, The average length c
y. y the school term is live moaths. TIL
- total tuition revenue received froI
!. the State is S13 900. There are
number of public schools in I'll
county, affording ample educationi
advantages.
> Homeseekers are gradually b
ginning to find their way to tn
land where farmers can work in ii
open air 365 days in the year. b
it is comparatively undeveinped
vet. With the binding of Il
El-,k.