The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-01-13
AS OTHERS
NOW SEE US
THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY, ITS
PRESENT AND FUTURE.
Climate and Irrigation Enables Con-
tinued Crops Throughout the En-
tire Year With Close Proximity to
Markets.

A few years ago-five at most the |
broad acres of the lower valley of
the Rio Grande lay untouched by the
hand of man. With the exception of
a little garden patch here and there
along the river bank, titled in half
hearted way by Mexicans and early
: settlers, the pillow or other agricultur-
al implements had not delved into the
rich. creamy earth. There it lay with
its hidden wealth rounding out its
sleep of centuries. Covered with cac-
tus, chaparral and an occasional
stunted tree, the almost perpetual
sunhsine beat down upon the land,
producing nothing -slumbering on
If those who visited the valley recog-
nized the fertility Of the soil they re-
allied that it was set off from the rest
OF the world by hundreds of miles of
unsettled country; that without
transportation facilities the country
would remain in its primitive state
and that without irrigation the soil
could not respond to cultivation
Rainless. unsettled, wild-prac-
tically foreign in the customs and
language OF its few river bank in
babitants-the lower valley of the
Rio Grande occupied a peculiar posi-
ton as a part of Texas and the Am
erican union, and yet within the
short period of five years all has
been transformed, and today this sec
ton Is growing into a new relation
ship with the balance OF the country
and gives indication Of occupying the
top rank as the most productive part
of America.
1t has been the history of the
world that where Nature has omitted
one or more essentials necessary to
the development of a country. it has
called forth the best that there is in
man to provide the deficiency. Here
Nature has furnished a fertile soil,
magnificent climate and the water
for irrigation purposes, but did not
put the water upon thhe land, nor
does not provide rain 1t was left
for man to finish the work of arous-
ing the hidden wealth from its dream
and bid this country to take its
place in the world of industry. De
velopment along scientific lines is the
rule. No other method would sue
coed. Engineers of note opened the
way by constructing great irrigation
bitches and farming is lone scien-
tifically and intelligently. Within i
few months after settling and clear
Ing his land tae farmer become.
something of an engineer himself
lie studies leEe;s. water hOw at
drainage. He also becomes a hor
ij,ulturist. for II this country of sub
tropic climate he plans his crops 70
each month of the year He become
an educated farmer. if he was lao
one before. and if he is lacking il
gray matter, enterprise and energy
he sees his neighbor grow prosper
Gus while he remains poor Brain
count in a rainless region
That well irrigated farms are NOR
productive soil conditions being equa
than lands watered by rains has bee
demonstrated in various portions
the world. Where irrigation Oper;
lions are conducted in a subtropic;
country the net returns per acre al
from three to five times greater tina
in one-season countries The az
vantages of irrigation, where easi
obtained. are many 1t means I
drouth: no rain at the wrong time
no wet harvests; that a farmer ca
have the exact amount of moistul
for any particular crop at the tin
he wants it. In this country it meal
that the farmer can grow crops
suit the market; he can have CO
tinuous supply, and yet plant all h
field at the same time. By irrigatlr
a part of the field this week and
part next week, and so on, the SCI
terminates at different times and
is able to supply his market steadi
without Cutting it. Irrigation pra
tically means no crop failure
With fifty thousand acres cleare
irrigated and ready for crops, mo
of which are now producing, al
with l 900 acres being added eve
month, the rate of progress is increa
ing rapidly. One can almost estima
the acreage under cultivation fl
years from this date. Farmers a
promoters of this country look fC
ward to the future without suspici
of failure 1t may not rain-th
don't want it to. DrOuthS may col
to o Their parts of the country; t
grass may wither and the folia
curl up and die; tits all thesame to 1
lower Rio Grande So confident q