Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1924-12-21

age would not make available for cit
rus is comparatively small.
Successful production Of citrus is
not confined, however, to the irrigat-
ed areas. Orchards in Willacy county
have proved conclusively that citrus
fruit can be produced under condi-
tions obtaining IN the dry farming
area of the Valley. However, in the
irrigated sections the trees come into
bearing earlier and evidently produce
more prolifically. Citrus requires lit
tie water, and in fact, the propensity
Of early experiments to apply too much
irrigation water was to a certain ex-
tent a retarding factor in the develop
ment of the industry. Experience, how
ever, has taught the Valley grower
how to avoid mistakes of this charac-
ter, and those costly errors OF the
first years are the fouidation upon
which the future profits of the indus
try are being built.
Learn Cultural Methods
When the pioneers Of the industry
finally demonstrated the profits which
would accrue from the growing of cit
rus fruit, the Valley farmers realiz-
cd that they know 1.-THE or nothing
about citrus culture. lost Of them
were we'll versed in the science Of cot
ton and vegetable production, but few
had taken any great interest in horti-
culture and especially that branch re-
lating to citrus growing.
The efforts of Valley farmers to
learn the fundamentals of successful
citrus culture resulted in the estab-
lishment of annual citrus schools in
both Cameron and Hidalgo counties
Experts from California and Florida.
men who have devoted years to the
science of citrus culture, were called
upon to give the Valley farmers the
benefit of their know;ecge. The Texas
A. and NJ. College took a great inter
est IN the infant industry of the Lew
or Rio Grande Valley, and sent it's
best horticulturists to the Valley to in
struct the farmers. Experts have made
a thorough study Of the soil and eli
matte conditions in the Valley, and the
result Of these Investigations, combin-
ed with the experience of the pioneer
growers and the research work and ex-
perience of the Cameron ana Hidalgo
equity farm agents have established
certain fundamentals which have prov
ed invaluable in the establishment Of
cultural methods.
The first citrus schools were held In
the Valley in 1921, and the att ndance
at every session was large. This has
increased with each succeeding year
These citrus schools nave become an
established institution, and the ex-
perienced grower and the novice are
Denefltted alike. Ihey bring to the
Valley growers the combined exp. r.
fence and scientific research OF men
who have made IN exhaustive study Of
the problems which confront the cit
rus grower, and many of the problems
which in the early days of the indus
try appeared insurmountable obstacles
to maximum development nave been
eliminated by the application o..
science and research.
The best criterion Of the faith the
Valley has in the future Of the citrus
industry Is the fact that practically
every one of those farmers who planted
citrus acreages between 1911 ana. 1921
have increased their acreages year af-
ter year. Many Of them lave trebled
or quadrupled their original acreages.
They have devoted years of effort and
expended large sums in solving the cit
rus problems Of the Valley and DEM
onstrating the wcrth of the industry,
but they were among the first to real
ize a good profit of their investment. /
and they have the satisfaction Of know
ing that they prepared the foundation
upon which an industry Of great po-
tentialities is rapidly being built.
Largest PRODUCING orchard
The Snavely orchard, a four or five
year cid grove near Harrington, one Of
the show places OF the Valley, and
which recently changed hands, will
probably produce more fruit this year
than any individually owned grove
There are 100 acres planted to citrus
fruit. and the four and five-year old
trees are loaded to capacity. The to-
tai production will exceed 10000 boxes
or aut least fifty carloacs.
Five years ago the land which now
comprises the S~navely orchard was il
brush, and the first clearings and
paintings were made in June, 1919.
Practically the entire orchard was
planted by the latter part of 1920, and
last year the trees produced several
thousand boxes. Thin year the entire
orchard came into bearing and the
trees are loaded with a crop that ex-
perts state could not De duplicated by
ten-year-old California trees. Even the
the three-year-old trees are quite heav-