The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1897-04-28

separated from Mexico by the nlO
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
ingIy 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.
lly, while cotton will easily yield
from one to two bales per acres.
Grasses grow all the year, and stock
fnd pasturae without being fed or
sheltered during the winter. But
the soil and climate OF the Lover
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 OBJ
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
ON petition. This is due to oul
eedingly 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 moi
been attempted in this county on q
large scale, but 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,
Tier than in any other section
Many planters here make all o.
their own table wines. Oranges
and lemons also grow in profusion
Iahd this section could easily b
: made to rival Florida in the pro
duction Of oranges. Sugar cane i
:. also one of the most important pro
i, pucts OF this valley. The Rit
Grande plantation of Mr.. Geo. Bru
{ lay and the Rabb Starck plantation
: produce great quantities of cane
which is all manufactured on tn,
Rio Grande plantation. This can,
makes sugar which is pronouncedb,
Iexperts to be even superior to tn
hest Louisiana product. Havan'
, tobacco has also proven a success
here, Col. J. G.. Tucker having
s made some most successful expert
I ments with it; his samples werI
!, classed by New York buyers a
equal to the best Havana.
The county is watered by the Ri,
Grande with its ample flow along
: the southern boundary. and mum
erous small streams called arroyo,
, and ''resacas. "
The population of Cameron conn
ty according to the census of 1885,
is 1924. Brownsville, the county
seat, has a population OF ab0u
1000, Point Isabel, the seaport o
! the county. has about 400 inhabi
tants and Santa Maria, a GROWN.
little river settlement, has ahout250
improved lands sell for from 5;
to $25 per acre, unimproved TO
from 50 to Sc per acre. The aver
age taxable value of land is 81
There are 80, 240 acres of sehoo
!, land in the county,. The count
has a total school population o
400, and gives employment to 81
teachers The average length o
the school term is live months. TIL
total tuition revenue received from
the State is Sl3 600. There are
Number of public schools In th
county, affording ample edueationa
advantages:
Homeseekers are gradually be
ginning to find their way to thi
land where farmers can work In tn
open air 365 days in the year. BIZ
it is comparatively uhdeveloped a
yet, With the building of tn
railroad to Corpus Christi. however
a great influx of settlers may b