Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1924-12-21
MANY THOUSAND
ACRESOF YOUNG
Trees PLANTED
Continued From. Page ID

vi AOA Il
the development here is small in COM
parison with the large acreage in
those sections, but sufficient progress
has been made to demonstrate what the
Valley can do, and that is sufficient
TO attract the capital necessary to de-
velop the industry to the maximum. In
another decade the Lower Rio Grande
Valley will be shipping citrus fruit to
every market in the United States, and
the excellent quality of the fruit
should firmly establish it in the mar
kets."
Valley Fruit Finely Favored
One feature which has been a very
important factor in the development of
the citrus fruit industry in the Valley
Is the fact that Valley fruit has a dis
inctive flavor and wherever it has been
placed on the market the supply has
been wholly inadequate to meet the
demand. This is especially true of the
Valley grapefruit-the large, juicy
golden fruit which has practically driv-
en- the Florida and California grape
fruit from the Texas markets. Calf
ornians readily admit they cannot pro
duce grapefruit that will compare with
'oiiSy PloOuII. III every Texas
city the Valley grapefruit sells at a
premium, its fine flavor cvreating the
demand and shippers assert the same
condition will prevail in other mar
kets when Valley production reaches
the point where it will be possible for
the Valley to invade the territories
now supplied exclusively by Florida
and California growers.
All varieties of Valley oranges-tht
Valencia, Pineapple, Parson Brown
Temple and Washington Navel-have
also gained favor in the markets
through their distinctive flavor. Prac-
tIcally every box Of Valley oranges
placed on the market has sold at a
premium, and last year scores of adj
dltlonal carloads could have been plac-
ed at the premium price if the supply
had been available.
Pioneers of the Industry
Citrus fruit has been grown in the
Lower Rio Grande for the past cen
tury. The Spanish grantees brought
from Spain over a hundred years ago
the first trees planted N the Valley,
but these disappeared during the years
of revolution and border warfare which
resulted in the wiping out of the ha-
ciendas Of the big rancheros. Oranges
and pomelo (grapefruit) were planted
at Matamoros and Brownsville during
the early days of their settlement, but
these trees also disappeared in the
havor of fire and warfare. The old
est trees now extant are believed to be
those of Laguna SEGA (dry lagoCn)
near Mission. Eighteen trees, all of
which are over thirty years old, COM
prise this grove which has survived
the borders turbulent days. These
trees bear prolifically and their fruit
is of excellent flavor.
fourteen years ago several Valley
pioneers conceived the idea of produc-
ing citrus fruit en- a commercial scale.
Among those pioneers of the industry
were H. II. Banker of Brownsville.
Charles and Al Volz of Mission, J. n.
Windbigler of Mission, DR.. A. H. Kalb-
fetish Of Mercedes, and William Nov
otny of San Benito, all of whom set
out small acreages Many Valley re
sidents and sCme of the horticultural
experts were frankly skeptical, but the
pioneers asserted that if it were pos
sible to grow citrus trees for orna-
tll pun pOSeS anu 10 DICUuce SUI
ficient fruit for the household, the
industry could be developed upon a
commercial scale. They were not vers-
ed in cultural methods. but experience
taught them, and when their groves
finally came into bearing other LAM
owners begans to realize that the
time fer skepticism had passed; that
the pioneers had actually demonstrated
that the Valley could produce citrus
fruit as prolifically as it produced
cotton and vegetable crops.
Begin Heavy Paintings
By 1916 the citrus groves had sud-
denly become points of great interest
to Valley farmers. They realized that
the Experimental work had proved the
adaptability cf the Valleys climate
and soil; that a new and profitable in
dustry was being established. The
demand for nursery stock became
heavy, and nurseries were soon estab-
lished in all parts of the Valley. By
1919 the paintings became heavy, and
at the close of the 1921 planting sea-
son over a million trees had been set
out.
There are now in the nurseries of
lHe NdlleE over a mllllOn trees every
one of which will be set cut this sea-
son, and growers express the opinion
that this supply will be inadequate to
meet the demand. Paintings already
made and assured this season indicate
that within five years the Vallaye's
fruit shipments will exceed 10000 car
loads annually. and when that point Is
attained the shipments are expected to
increase at the rate Of 5000 to 100000
cars per year.
Acreage Available for Citrus
What is the maximum to which
the citrus industry can be established
in the Valley" is a question often
asked by homeseekers and tourists.
The man who can answer that ques-
ton has never been found.
The Valley now has approximately
425, 900 acres in its irrigation districts.
with approximately 100000 under cul-
tivation. The high, well drained lands
are almost invariably selected for cit
rus paintings. but there are many
thousands of acres which by the in
stailation of tile drainage systems will