Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-09-23

tBy Rex r.. Willard, Assistant A.rirul-
%turi~t. United States Department II Az
riculturc. Bureau Of piaat lndn~iry.)
a short time ago ! received a request
for information a. folIowS:
"Whai j. the possibility for = farmer
with $4,000 IA your section -
Ny answer to him was essentially H.
follow:
"For some years it was thought that this
was IN ideal truck country hnt on account
az distance from market. lack 1T u .ati~-
factory marketing system. etc. a change
4 taking place IN farming practice. ID
J. now conceded that diversified farming
with proper handling Of stock Is the
profitable line Of farming for this see
ton
Why should such d statement be called
fors II this change in farming practice
was necessary. why was emphasis placed
ON truck IN the beginning!
That various crops can be- raised IN thi-
Valley j. unqnc~tionable; that a few have
made biz money IN this section III 4 few
Instances ION certain lines 81 truck + Ger
tain. II j. also certain that these special
instances have been advertised over tie
country a. though They were the average
condition. Also, much advertising along
the lines of citrus fruit production ha~
been carried On. Tales Of prosperity have
been scattered broadcast. llomc~eekerS
.have been railroadcd into the Valley and
have bought land at high prices with the
assurance that land could b. paid for III
one. two or three years. The result j.
that d large number of the wrong kind Of
people have been induced "a come here
who were doomed 10 failure az the very
beginning. Undertakes. bank clerk.
physicians. attorney and either profc~-
>lonal men who were undoubtedly success
inl IN their former occupations have been
induced 10 undertake the business ~
farming which l. one 81 the most com
plicated Of al lines of business. These
men we're led Ia believe that this wa~ the
garden spot where quick returns could b.
made with little actual labor. These peo-
pie are fast becoming di~ahuSed 10 any
such fantastic ideas.
Let n consider what j. the actual ~iatu,
Of the truck gamble IN this region. Ii has
been my business 10 assemble data from
a large nnmhcrtof farms AN the way from
Brownsville 10 Mission IN order 60 get az
the proposition Of the ACCESSIBILITY Of
truck raising and the amount Of truck that
should be- produced on the farm. These
records have been taken from all classes
~ farm. including those having con~i,l-
cradle amounts "a capital and those which
arr operating under very limited means.
While much remains To NJ accumulated.
the following deductions are perhap~
lnstitiahle. from The information thu. tar
gathered
Of 100 records ~ cabbage production
covering five years previous II ihiS one.
90. or lis per cent. have been successful.
That j.. about two-titth~ IA the cabbage
that has been raised III the Rio Grandc
Valley ha~ brought a return sufficient 70
pay the cost "a production. or a little
more. The remaining $50 per cent ~ thr
cror> raised were failure from the stand
point Of income 10 the farmer. Amonr
the reason n~cribcd ~ the farmers them
selves for these failnre~ arr First. lack
Of market. This cause occupies 50 ner
cent a all the failures that have been wit