The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1907-06-08
TROPICAL FRUIT
IN SOUTH TEXAS
Oranges & Lemons Ripen Ahead
Of California Fruit.
II. S. Strotcr. Writes Very Interesting
Article or the Possibilities Of Tropical
Fruit Culture in This Section
Grape Area is an Empire.

The most southern tiers of coun-
ties on the lower Rio Grande river
composed of the four large coun-
ties of Zapata, Starr. Hidalgo and
Cameron are in the best location
for the raising of tropical fruits.
says II. S. Stroter. They are equal
ly well adapted for the raising of
choicest varieties of oranges and
lemons as the celebrated citrus belt
of Southern California; the next or
second tiers of counties composed
of Webb, Duval Nueces and San
Patricio counties are also within
the citrus belt. For these counties
the growing of olive trees for the
production of fine table olives and
the production of pure olive oil
will be paying industry. Even
in the third tier of counties, includ-
ing the south half of Dimmitt. La
Sale, McMullen, Live Oak, Bee
and Refugio oranges may be sue
cesfully raised provided they are
grated on the hardly wild Japan
orange Qimonia trifoliata). and if
this is done success is assured.
The small but choice Mandarin or
ange called Satsuma, does remark
ably we'll in the northern end of
the citrus belt, provided they are
grated on the limonia trifoliata.
This third tier of counties is
well adapted for the raising of
camphor trees (camphora oficin-
alis) for the production of the gum
camphor for commercial purposes
spirits of camphor FUSED in every
household).
The area suitable for the grow
ing of raisin grapes is of a very
large extent in Southwest Texas
the varieties grown mostly in Cali
fornia for raisins are mainly mus
cat of Alexandria and some Gordo
Blanco; both varieties are white
grapes and round in shape. In
Spain the malaga grape (of an
oblong or oval form) is mostly us
ed for raisin. Ali varieties of rails
in grapes are of the tender Wits
vinifera class. cultivated for over
$500 years. They are also choice
table grapes. The yellowish grapes
imported from Spain in kegs with
sawdust and offered for sale at
Christmas time in fruit stores for
rs cents pound are Malaga raisin
grapes. They certainly can be
grown in Texas. In regard to
the raising of choice oranges and
lemons, the Texas citrus belt has
two important points of advant-
age which California does not pos
sess. First, the Texas oranges
and lemons will ripen between one
to two months ahead of California.
Every intelligent person knows
that to be first in the market means
top prices and it is reasonable to
predict that the Texas crop of or
anges and lemons can be marketed
before the California fruit is ready
for shipment. Second, the other
point of advantage is the saving
of over 500 miles in railroad trans
portation to the large cities of the
middle West and the North and
East of the United States. These
are the biggest consumers. This
saving of over 500 miles in freight
charges is an important item in
favor of the Texas citrus belt.
Only few years ago the best
part of the citrus belt lands went
a begging for so cents to 81 per
acre. As soon as this great indus
try is established the choice varie-
ties of the orange and lemon trees
will soon come into bearing and
pay net income of 10 per cent at
a valuation of from $500 to $1,000
per acre. Do the people of Texas
realize that the revenue produced
by the California orchards far ex-
ceeds the large yield of gold pro-
duced annually in California (and