Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-05-02
I'm OUR r
VALLEY

J. G. ENGLEMAN. JR.. has some
positive ideas about correct irriga-
ton and cultivation methods for
citrus growing IN the Lower Rio
Grande Valley-ideas developed In
10 years Of experience in this sec
tion.
And he appears to be well on the
road TO proving the correctness OF
his ideas.
AS developer Of Engleman Gar
dens. an 1000 acre tract in Hsdalgo
county north Of Elsa and near
Edinburg. he has in the past two
wears planted more than 100000
citrus trees.
Anyone who views the long rows
OF trees set in symetrical patterns
and extending for miles in every
direction from his club house can
not help being convinced he knows
what he is about.
Every tree liz that vast orchard.
many times the largest in the VAL
ley, mas the appearance OF having
been hand picked and hand
groomed. Ir fact. after drive
over the tract q person wonders II
the trees have individual names.
Every one OF The hundreds of
thousands Of trees has beautiful
s'greasy" DARK green color which
bespeaks health and well-being.
Enzleman sums up his theories
which he has put into practice on
such n large scale-in Just a few
words
"A little water and lot of work .
But there is a little more TO 1t
than that.
Deep tilling-down 30 inches be-
low the surface-is one Of his ruses.
Crnits moisture to penetrate. pre-
V vents forming a hard pan just un-
der the surface soil and consequent
wearing out Of the few inches oI
top dirt.
Also permits the root system of
the tree To penetrate 10 greater
depth and 10 spread further, max
ing Il healthy and strong. Constant
working is another rule.
And "a little water"
That Is one OF the cardinal rules
Engleman has adopted.
So far every tree on the place
has received only water hauled to
AZ with water wagons.
The principal cause Of yellow
and sickly looking orchards in the
Valley is too much water" he says.
And he gives his trees only mod
crate drinks. but sees that it all
goes into the soil instead Of stay
ing on top OF the ground to be
lapped.up by wind and sun.
Engleman takes pride in the do
main he has carved from the brush
in only a little more than two
years. Thinks so well Of it he has
planted a private orchard OF $40
acres ard picked a beautiful site
on the side OF a storage reservoir
for his future home.
Some day su the not distant
future this is going to be the most
beautiful tract IN the entire Val
ley he says. And the progress he
has made in two years adds con-
yiction 10 the statement.
This is the place you are going
20 choose to which to bring your
visiting friends when YOU desire to
show them the Valley" he says.
1t already Is worth a drive 70
see. When he has matured his
plans il will be real show place"
Two years ago this soil on
which you stand was in the native
brush. he told his guests Tuesday
evening when he was host to VAL
ley business men. bankers. news
papermen and chamber Of COM
merce executives.
Now it is trayersed by a paved
highway: a high line supplies cleo
trical energy for lighting and pow
er: the laundry wagon, the ice
wagon. and the grocer's delivery
now include this tract on their
routes.
He tells OF several millionaires
purchasing orchards on the tract
and planning their winter homes
there. Officials Of General Motors
landed there last week in an air
plane 70 inspect tracts they own.
And that was not the first plane
% bring owners to the tract.
DISCOVERY Of the Mediterran-
ean fruit fly as far north as Jack
sonville indicates that the United
States quarantine against Florida
: &night not prove as effective as ii
should.
The first quarantine regulations
permitted the shipping Of fruit and
vegetables from areas where no in
festation had been discovered. OF
course. such shipments were to be
inspected. but inspectors might
easily miss an infestation In
large shipment.
Yet under the federal law the
state Of Texas Is prevented from
declaring a rigid embargo against
Florida products. And the Valley
Is prevented from asking for q
permanent embargo.
VALLEY water districts decide
TO oppose granting by the State
Board OF Water Engineers a permit
(Continued on page swclve)