Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-08-21

I'm OUR
VALLsEY

LAREDO ORCHARDISTS don't
like Valley citrus trees-in spite OF
the fact that Valley citrus growers
long ago learned the very best tree
obtainable is grown in the Valley.
Many trees imported from Florida
and few brought in from Califor-
MIA have been dug up and replaced
by Valley-grown trees.
OF course good treeS-pedigreed
trees, are obtainable from any of
the citrus-growing sections, Valley,
Florida or California.
But Valley men who have been in
the game for many years see the
hand Of a famous Florida nursery
in the resolution passed by the
meeting in Laredo last week which
requested the Texas state depart
ment OF agriculture to admit Flor
i2a trees for planting and which at
tie same time frowned on the VAL
ley-grown product.
Laredoans continue to declare
they desire the right to purchase
certified" trees from Florida, using
that word over and over again rs
though 1t really had a meaning.
Certified" is a word which the
Florida nursery uses in connection
with its trees and means that the
nursery stands back Of the tree and
guarantees 1t to produce a high
quality and heavy yield Of the va
riety Of fruit bought. 1t means that
and nothing more.
Certified" trees can be bought in
the Valley. Any number Of Valley
nurserymen are guaranteeing their
trees to produce high quality fruit
Of the variety named and TO bear
heavy crops.
FLORIDA TREES have been bar
red from the Valley for a long time
because many Of the trees shipped
in from that state were found by
federal inspectors TO be infested
with one or more varieties of citrus
pests and because many Of them
were Of veiy inferior quality.
The statewide ban against Flor
ida trees, to which Laredo Is object
ing, was only decreed on July % Cf
this year. The quarantine was put
on only because the state depart
ment OF agriculture feared there was
possibility Of bringing the Mediter-
ranean fruit fly into the state on
some Of the trees or the wrappings.
If the quarantine had been de-
creed merely to help Valley or
chardists sell their trees. Laredo
would be perfectly justified in their
demand that they be allowed to
purchase trees where they please.
But Geo. B. Terrell has said he
w74lld not modify the quarantine
or1er immediately-so the propa-
ganda barrage of the Florida nur-
sery seems TO have failed for the
present at least.
CAMERON COUNTY. one Of the
healthiest spots in the United
States, is ABOUT TO earn the reputa-
ton of being one of the most un-
healthy.
All through a matter of neglected
birth registrations.
II appears that the law requiring
registration of deaths provides a
penalty sufficiently severe to assure
all deaths being recorded, while on
the other hand births are recorded
only If IL is convenie.-t for the doc
tor or nurse to do so.
Because of this Cameron county
shows an abnormally high infant
mortality. 1t also shows a very
high death rate compared to births.
Jesse T. Nichols, special agent Of
the United States bureau Of the
census has been compiling some
records on Cameron county to show
the need for more careful registra-
tor of births. He is working in the
campaign to place Texas in the
United States registration area in
1929 and is interested in Cameron
county for that matter.
Here are some of the things he
says in a recent letter to County
Judge o. G. Dancy:
mo doubt you will be interested
10 know the results of the check Of
names secured by the scholastic
censHG enumerators with the birth
certHEates on file with the state
health department.
According TO this check only 25
per cent of the children Of Browns
VILE were born in Cameron county
outside the cities OF Brownsville,
Harlingen and San Benito were reg
istered. OF the American births 80
per cent were recorded but only 10
per cent of the Mexican children
we're recorded.
"You realize. Of course. that COM
plete registration is a vital need IN
every community, not only from a
public health standpoint, but as rec
ords Of age, parentage, and citizen
ship. In future years these will be
very much needed. especially by the
Mexican children"
Judge Dancy says steps will be