The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1897-01-14

separated from MEXICO oy tue Mo
Grande on the south and has about
100 miles of gulf coast as its east
ern boundary. 1t was organized In
1848, and contains 3300 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
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
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. az there will be nc
competition. This is due to Oui
exceedingly mild climate. Ere
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 this
delicious fruit yields most abund-
antly and in the greatest perfection
Grapes are also raised extensively
growing in almost every yard. They
ripen from tsS1S four weeks ear,
Iier 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 Il
glso one of the most important pro
pucts Of this valley. The RiC
Grande plantation of Mr.. Geo. Bru
Law and the Rabb Starck plantation
produce graat quantities of cane
which is all manufactured on th'
Rio Grande plantation This cane
makes sugar which is produced b,
experts to he even superior to to-
best Louisiana product. Havan;
! tobacco has also proven a success
here, Col. J G. Tucker havins
made some most successful expert
ments with it; his samples wer
lclassed by New York buyers a
equal to the best Havana.
The county is watered by the Ri
IGrande with its ample flow alOni
1.-THE southern boundary, and mum
erous small streams ca led 'arroya,
; and "resacas."
The population of Cameron coun
ty according to the census of 189
lis 1924. Brownsville, the count
seat, has a population of abou
1000 Point Isabel, the seaport G
the county, has about 400 inhabi
tants and Santa Maria, a GROWN
little river settlement, has about25(
Improved lands sell for from S
to $50 per acre, unimproved fC
: from g to Sc per acre. The aver
age taxable value of land is S
There are 82,240 acres of schoc
land in the county. The count
has total school population c
r 400, AID gives employment to 8
teachers The average length c
THE school term is five months. TIL
total tuition revenue received fror
the State is S13 600 There are
number of public schools in tn
county, affording ample educations
advantages.
Homeseekers are gradually be
ginning to ind their way to TIN
land where farmers can work in TIL
open air 365 DAYS in the year. bu
it is comparatively undeveloped a
yet. With tbe building of tn,
lailroaa to Corpys Christi. however
A great influx of settlers may b,
lexpeeted and they will be heartily