Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1926-04-11
! / N OUR
: VALLEY


had their origin in South America
in Brazil. or maybe it was in one of
@ other South American countries.
,;omehow, someway the potato be-
e associated with the Irish, and
eby received its name
iowever that may be, the potato is
,yreat factor in furthering the pre-
ction fame of the Lower Rio
nnde Valley of Texas.
Two good potato stories have reach
The Herald in the last day or two.
top Of some ones already told
bout, some days ago.
j Saturday Mr.. Caldwell of FL Jardin
called M The Herald to tell about n
potato production record made by W.
A. Eentfro. formerly Of Billings.
Okla. (wherc il showed yesterday,
hut for the past two years grower
on the El Jardin tract, near Commun-
ity House No. 2.
Mr.. Rentfro had ono acre on which
he yesterday completed the digging.
He took out total of PSI bushels
and "A pounds from the single acre.
There are 60 pounds in bushei of
potatoes.
All were commercial potatoes. The
little fellows were not counted.
At six cents pound to the grower
" the acre CROSSED $500. Mr.. Rentfro
preferred to consign, however. and ex-
NJ
4 1850 for the acre Of potatoes.
The potatoes were planted in rows
80 inches apart. And there's a little
secret. too. Two crops of cowpeas
have been turned under on the
ground. Makes it better for potatoes.
Mr.. Rentfro's son. John. who also
has a patch of potatoes, is doing
mere 200 bushels an acre.
Colonel r. J. Bretz came TO the
Lower Rio Grande Valley the first Of
August, 1924. He located on FL Jar
din.
He has just harvested his first po-
tato crop and tells the following
story:
"On the tenth day OF January /
planted 80 bushels of pink triumph
potatoes on two acres Of ground. On
Thursday finished digging my crop.
/ sold S12s3 worth Of potatoes and
still have 20 sacks left, which should
run the total to approximately $if0O
from the two acres"
Colonel Bretz il an auctioneer by
profession, and operates his l5-acrc
farm as side line. Just 20 Keep
Interested in the SOIL is the way
he puts the matter.
It's really a little hard to regard
as "high crime" against the laws
of the United States the simple act
of putting 52 hampers Of green snap
beans in, an improyiscd boat. and
showing that boat across somewhat
muddy river to a place whore real
money car be had in exchange for
beans.
Had the hampers been bad liquor
instead Of good beans. ones sympath-
les might not have been so affected.
mercial product over on the south
side Of the Rio Grande.
There Is no demand for them. But
on this side just now they arc worth
something like 50 hamper.
And for the payment Of duty OF
half a cent pound. or about 20 cents
hamper, the beans could legally
Irt
netting them about s1.S0 a crate,
minus hearing ir the federal court.
Judge Hutcheson will hear about
smuggled green snap beans for The
first time when he opens federal
court here next month.
Yesterday morning it showed con-
siderably up about Amarillo and at-
jacent territory, in the Texas Pan
handle.
And at about the same time ono
of the Sexton boys of Brownsville
was scouting around in Fort Brown
looking for wild dewberics. And he
found them. We know because he
brought a waterglass full of them
into The Herald office.
Nine hundred miles or so in Texas
brings a variety Of climate-and pro-
duction.-
With the advent OF the Morning
Telegram, McAllen further clinches
her hold as the publishing center OF
the Lower RIO Grande Valley.
The city has two daily newspapers,
the morning Telegram and the eve
ming Press. II also has the Meal
len Monitor, weekly newspaper, the
Delta Irrigation News, also week
ly newspaper. headquarters Of
Monty's Monthly magazine. the VAL
ley Methodist, a weekly church pa
per, Spanish language newspaper
and perhaps some others that we
have not heard about.
AL Parker, his brother, j. l.. Park
err, and their associate. l.. r. Beddoes
Savir- made splendid job in the
Matter of developing La Fer.a and