Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1924-01-20
LARGE ACREAGE
OF POTATOES in
LOWER VALLEY
Growers Estimate That at
Least 125 Carloads Of
Seed Potatoes Will be
Planted

Approximately 125 cars Of seed pota-
toes will he planted in the Rio Grande
Delta country this season. according Ia
the estimates of growers who have made
u careful survey of the situation. This
will make a total of approximately 1900
acres, the greater portion Of which will
be in the Brownsville section. Estimates
made yesterday placed the total potat"
a reage in III Jardin community at 800.
this community invariably raising the
greater part Of the Valleys production.
Farmers in the Brownsville section
started their paintings early in January.
and right now are on their heaviest
planting. Carload after carload Of seed
potatoes are being received here from
western Nebraska. and a. fast they
are received they are taken out by the
farmers. Large c0nsignmentS Of seed
have also been received at San Benito
and Omito. but in the upper Valley the
asr reage will be light.
The Souihmost Plantation. several
miles below Brownsville will again lead
the Valley this year with the largest
acreage The owners Of the plantation
announce that approximately 800 acres
will be planted 20 potatoes before their
plnntings are completed. Other large
ucreages To be planted include l13 res
by A. y. Tandy X Son. 10 by Fred
Rusteberg: 120 by Gregg X Tucker. and
~ by W. H. McDavitt. Scores of farm
ers In this section are planting acreages
ranging from To 10
Planting il also underway in the Los
lresnos and Dlmito communities. where
IA cars Of seed potatoes have been re-
ceived. Many farmers of those eommun-
tiles are planting acreages. ranging from
r 10 80. there being few acreageS on the
same scale a. in the III Jardin section.
The farmers of those diSirlsts have
found potato raising one ~ the most re
muneratiye industries. growers state
Growers estimated yesterday that in the
brownsville section approximately -
per cent of the total acreage has already
been planted.
Marketing of the Valleys potato crop
starts the latter part Of March and con
iinues until the middle Of May. by which
time the potato producing section further
north begin % get their early crop On
the market AZ rule. the Valley y
ahead of California or Florida. and the
earliest potatoes on the northern mar
kets almost invariably come from the
brownsville section.
"Nalley potato growers made good
profit on their crop last year a local
grower stated. The late freeze in the
northern part of the state and extending
as far south as Corpus Christi. gave
the Valley an opportunity 10 market ~
crop before any other section had poia-
toes ON the market. Reports from
other potato producing sections Of Texas
Indicate that the potato growers were
greatly disheartened by the freeze last
sason. and the acreage this year will pc
crafty reduced. being 80 small. IN fact.
that those sections can hardly be classed
ms competing with the Valley.
Practically all the seed received here :
Of the Red Triumph variety. pssrchased
an western Nebraska. and il has proved
very prolific variety for this se ton
Growers estimate thai 30 ears of seed
will be planted in the Brownsville sec
tion. 30 ears in the Los Fresncs and
Olmito districts. and at least - cars ~
other parts Of the Valley.