Brownsville herald. [volume], February 17, 1929, SOCIETY, Image 13

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| Valley Students
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F * AUSTIN, Feb. 16.—Seventeen Uni
jj lenity of Texas students this week
I were granted a charter in Alpha £p
allon Delta, men's honorary pre
I medical fraternity. Two students
0 from the Valley, Claunch G. Brind- j
B ley of Harlingen and Albert M. Dash
9 iell of Mission, v^ere among those
■ admitted as charter members.
B Brindley is a member of the Long
B^orn band and has taken part in its
Btours over the state. Dashiell has
■ -been active in pre-medical work out-|
B side the classroom, being an officer
Blast year in the Pre-Medical society,
9 composed of students and faculty
B members.
jj To be eligible for the new frater
B nity, it is necessary the students
Htiave at least three semesters of pre
■ medical work with a scholastic aver
9 f.ge that places them within the first
9JO per cent of their class, faculty ad
B visors said.
B' Dashiell has also been elected scc
9 retary of the new organization.
H Alpha Epsilon Delta was organised j
9 in the spring of 1926 at the IJnhrer
B sity of Alabama, and has as its ob
9yect; To encourage excellence in
9 pre-medical work, to bind together
B imilarly interested students, and to
B bridge the gap between the pre-med
B ical school and the school of med
Bacine. It's motto is “Truth 1 Pursue."
K • « •
9 ' Thirty camp Te-W aa-IIiss girls,
■ members of the University outing so
B iciety, left Thursday for Camp Man
9 ana, 18 miles from Austin, and will
9',*<pnain at the camp until Sunday,
II Yruary 21.
HAMi i Essie Roots of San Benito is
B/9K*tant director of the camp, and
1 n an officer in the association.
■ Miss Gyneth Stugard of Alamo,
9 president of the Women's Athletic
■ association, is also taking part in
9 the camp.
B- Classes in woodcraft, campcraft,
B fire-lore, nature-love, and handcraft
9 are being held at the camp.
H • * *
9 Mike Moyers of Mercedes, presi
9 dont of the University of Texas
9 Longhorn band, was elected this week
I as vice-president of the senior ciass
B of the college of engineering.
B Moyers is a senior in the depart
■ ment of mechanical engineering and
I a student assistant in the depart
■ nent. He will receive his degree in
B aunc.
■ • • *
B Two Valley students were listed
B this week by the University health
B service as confined to Austin hos
B pitals. They were Ford Green of
9 Brownsville and Albert Dashiell of
B Mission.
B. • a •
|| The University Aichaeological »o
9 eiety was formed Friday altcrnoon
H of last week, for the purpose of mak
9 in tripa every two weeks to study
9 and gather specimens to be added to
9 the collection which has been gath
B ered at the university. The special
§■ purpose of the club is to collect
B specimens of Indian origin to be
B found in the vicinity of Austin.
9 James Huffendick of McAllen, tu
B tor in anthropology and graduate
B student in the university, was elect
9 ed guide of the society, the chief
B officer of the organization.
B ■ • •
| Herschell Walling of Mission, in
B atructor in business administration
9 at the university, and a graduate stu
9 dent, has been named as a member
| of a committee appointed by Beta
9 Alpha Psi, business administration
H scholastic fraternity, to study plans
^ for a trip to be made soon by the
9 fraternity members for the purpose
9 of studying business methods in
9 some of the large industries of the
B state.
■ Walling was president of the Beta
|9 Alpha Psi fraternity when a senior
B in the school of business administra
B tion of the university.
m • • •
■ Sigma Eta Chi fraternity announc
B«as the pledging of Fields M. Hamp
B ton of Weslaco, an undergraduate
Bfatudent in the College of Arts and
fl Sciences of the university.
NUECES TRUCK
ON INCREASE
. Shipment Thi* Season
Is Heavier Than
; Last Year
(Special to The Herald)
| CORPUS CHRISTI. Feb. 16.—
Vegetable movements from Corpus
Christi and its immediate territory
are greater than ever before in its
entire history and over 400 car loads
of vegetables have already been
shipped oat. according to statistics
compiled by officials of the Corpus
Christi Chamber of Commerce.
According to the figures compiled,
there have been 108 cars of spinach.
87 cars of cabbage, 13 cars of beets,
128 cars of radishes, 13 cars of tur
nips and approximately 160 cars cf
mixed vegetables. Tho shipping
season along the coast started over
a full month earlier this year than
last season. Up to this time in 1928
only 92 cars of vegetables had been
shipped.
Frits Hocpfner, Nueces county
agricultural agent, said that farm
ers in this section were beginning
to realise the value of producing
, truck crops, lie declared the acre
I age planted in these vegrt.hlfB bad
been growing steadily and that this
year the acreage was larger than
over before.
According to railroad officials,
the peak of the vegetable shipping
season will rot be reached for an
t other month, and it is expected that
. the shipping season will last until
’ about May. Vegetables from Nue
ces county and its immediate terri
1 font* have been shinned to almost
i •vetT' part of the United States.
Ray Leeroan. manager of the Sonth
Texas Chamber of Commerce, said
that hi* organisation was making
every effort for an unward revision
of the present tariff schedule on
all farm products ranging from one
to seven cents. This revision
would be of immense value to South
Texas agricultural interests.
NEW DISTRICT
TO CONCRETE
CANALSYSTEM
Call $500,000 Bond Is
sue to Finance Con
struction Of Irriga
tion Plant
A complete concrete system has
been designed to supply irrigation
water for Cameron County "'ater
Improvement District No. 11, com
prising approximately 4,300 acres in
the coastal area, which has called
h bond election (or March 9, to
finance the work.
The lands to be watered by the i
district are in Shares 31 and 32, the
district being approximately 1 1-4
miles in width by 8 miles in length,
extending north and south, with the
south line on the Barreda-Point Isa
bel highway. The major part of the
acreage is resaca land, peculiarly
adapted to citrus culture, and is
owned by the Port Isabel Develop
ment company. The entire acreage
will be developed as a citrus project,
several hundred acres already hav
ing been planted.
Plans for the district, drawn by
V. L. Conrad, Brownsville engineer,
were approved by the state board of
water engineers late in January.
Part of the system has been com
pleted, and the developers propose
to have irrigation available on part
of the acreage within a month or
six weeks.
Irrigation water is secured from
the Los Fresnos system. District 11
to utilize the main canal which also
serves District 10, the Rutherford
Harding lands to tho east of Los
Fresnos. The Cuates resaca, which
winds through the district, will be
utilized for storage, approximately
5.000 acre feet of water to be
stored by a series of impounding
dams. It is understood that the
developers propose to add between
3.000 and 4,000 acres to the disrict
when the present acreage is de
veloped, and additional storage ran
be secured in the Cuates and the
various arms of that resaca.
Small Pumps I'sed
Numerous small pumps, electri
cally operated, will provide irriga
ion for part of the area, the water
to be drawn from the Cuates re
saca into which it will be delivered
by gravity from the canals of the
Los Fresnos system, these pumps
being of a size to meet the needs
of the areas they will irrigate. The
rest of the acreage will be watered
direct from the canals.
The stored water in the Cuates
will be carried at a level several
feet below the surrounding areas to
assure minimum seepage losses and
prevent damage to lands. The aver
age lift for the varioua small plants
will be approximately 9 feet. The
entire system will be placed under
concrete, pipe lines to be used
wherever conveninet, and it is be
lieved that the major part of the
acreage will eventually install pipe
irrigation systems, designed to as
sure maximum efficiency in water
ing citrus.
The citrus acreage already plant
ed is being watered with tank
wagons, but it is the intention of
(Continues on Page 2)
Nine 4-H Clubs
Are Reorganized
SAN BENITO. Feb. 16.—Nine 4-H
boys clubs have been reorganized for
this year in the following communi
ties: Combe*. Rio Hondo, Los Fres
nos, El Jardin, Highland, Los Indios,
Rangerville, Stuart Place and Wilson
Tract. County Agent Henry Alsmoyer
reports.
The projects that the boys are
taking this year: Corn, cotton. Irish
potatoes and poultry. Over 75 per
cent of the boys have taken poultry
as their projects and in this project
the boys take complete charge of the
farm poultry flock. The boys improve
the farm flocks by proper feeding,
culling and control of insects and
diseases.
This is the first year that any of
the boys have taken Irish potatoes as
a project. Definite cost figures will
bo required and through the potato
projects the boys and others may
recognize the benefits of the use of
cover crop* and commercial fertiliz
ers, he said.
■ *1
Texas Exes Plan
Banquet March 2
AUSTIN, Tex., Feb. 16.—To cher
ish a fine public spirit, to promote
excellence of technical training in
the University of Texas and to per
petuate friendships formed at the
university are the issues set forth
on the program of the Ex-Students’
association of the university, recent
ly sent to all local ex-student clubs
for use at their March 2 banquets.
Plans for the annual ex-student
banquets to be held in all the large
towns of Texas, in practically ev
ery sate in the United States and
in several foreign countries are go
ing forward rapidly, according to
ex-student authorities on the cam
pus. The local clubs are sending in
copies of their programs for the
occasion and are enthusiastic in
their responses to the suggestions
made by the staff of the ex-stu
dent headquarters.
CITRUS CUTS
ACREAGE OF
COTTON CROP
Boyd, Valley Expert,1
Thinks Crop Will Be
Under 300,000 Acre
Mark of Last Year
(Special to The Herald)
SAN BENITO, Feb. 16.—Citrus
fruit is beginning to make very no
tceiable inroads into the cotton acre
age of the irrigated section of the
Valley.
So says H. P. Boyd, vice-president
of the Valley C.in company, and cot
ton prognosticator.
What the Valley needs to give it
an unusually good start in the cot
ton season is a slow rain of about
three inches, Mr. Boyd said.
In speaking ol the acreage he said
that there will probably be a consid
erable decrease in the irrigated sec
tion. due largely to citrus fruit be
ing planted on many farms. In the
non-irrigated section the acreage
will be about the same as last year.
This will mean that the total of ap
proximately 300.000 acres in cotton
last year will be reduced some in
this year’s acreage.
Cotton planting has been started
in the Valley already, Mr. Boyd said.
In fact it was started in some sec
tions of the Valley early in January,
but this-was only on a few scattering
farms, where persons decided to
make an early try for the first bale,
with its large prise. Some of these
early acreages are in the dry land
sections, and the recent cold hurt
them considerably.
The planting will bo rather scat
tering from now until March 1, and
if weather conditions are favorable
the heaviest planting will take place
from March 1 to March 5, Mr. Boyd
said, as this has been found to be
one of the best times to plant cotton.
There are many growers who wait
until the latter part of March, choos
ing to come in with late cotton.
The Valley Gin company official,
who returned to the Valley only re
cently from Fort Worth after being
there* two months, has toured most
of the Valley section, and said that
he found the soil in better shape
than usual, with considerable mois
ture in the ground. Many farms in
the irrigated section are preparing
now to irrigate before planting,
while others are hoping for a little
more rain before putting their seed
in the ground.
Mr. Boyd, who stressed careful cu
tivation, and poisoning of cotton
during the growing season, today
stressed the importance of good seed.
"It looks now like at least a 20
cent price for new cotton,” Mr. Boyd
said. "That is, the price will be
around that figure if the growers are
careful in selecting their seed.
“If they will get a good, long sta
ple seed, they will be able to get the
best prire for cotton, if not a pre
mium. They will then be raising the
cotton that 75 per cent of the cotton
consuming world demands. On the
other hand if they get inferior seed
they will find themselves with cotton
that will not bring the market price,
aa the demand for it is not as strong,
and its quality is not as good.”
Mr. Boyd could not be induced to
express himself as to the possible
yield in the Valley. He has for the
past few years estimated the yield
at the opening of the shipping sea
son, and has missed the mark by
(Continued on naee two.)
Citrus Fruit Grades
Will be Harmonized
By Department Plan
An effort will be made to stand
ardize citrus fruit grades for Flor
ida, the Lower Rio lirande Valley
and California, according to W. E.
Leigh of the Bureau of Agricultural
Econcmics of the U. S. Department
of Agriculture, who has been in the
Valley the past month working on U.
S. grades for Valley citrus fruit.
Leigh left Saturday night for Cal
ifornia. where he will make similar
Investigations for the purpose of es
tablishing citrus fruit grades for
that state.
Recommendations relative to the
Valley grades already have been for
warded to the department, Leigh
stated, but it is probable th«y will
not be established until his Califor
nia investigations have been com
pleted. The department then will
endeavor to establish the grades
upon the basis of the Florida grades,
so far as conditions in the respective
sections will permit, Leigh said.
"It is the intention of the depart
ment to harmonize Florida, Valley
and California grades so far as pos
sible,’* Leigh said in discussing his
work in the Valley. "This decision
was reached by the department heads
after receiving my recommendations
for Valley grades. California de-1
sires to have the grades established
and the department believes it would
be best for all concerned if the
grades for three sections were har
monized. This plan, as must be ob
vious to growers and shippers, would
prove of great value to distributors.
Extensive variations in grades for
the various sections would prove very
confusing.”
Valley Backs Move
Relative to sentiment among Val
ley growers and shippers, Mr. Leigh
stated he had been accorded a very
favorable reception throughout the
Valley, and that there appeared al
most unanimous accord with respect
to the necessity which exists for es
tablishment of citrus fruit grades.
He has been assisted in his work by
the Texas Citrus Fruit Growers’ Ex
change. the Rio Grande Valley Citrus
Fruit Growers’ association, the Val
Verde Mercantile Co., L. E. Snavely
and otb*r cooperatives and individ
uals handling citrus fruit in large
volume.
“If the fruit produced in the Valley
this year is an average it will be
accessary to be slightly more tol
(Cootinued on Page 2)
f -
VALLEY FINDS
NEWMARKETS
SOUTHEAST
—
Movement Into South
eastern Territory
Shows Gain of Over
100 Per Cent
Scores of new markets have been
opened for Lower Rio Grande Valley
vegetables in southeastern territory,
where, until this year, the Florida
shippers have enjoyed practically •
monopoly.
According to conservative esti
mates shipments of Valley vegetables
into the southeast this season will
run between 4,000 and 5,000 cars as
compared with 1,800 cars last year,
the increase being due to the gen
eral freight reduction last year cov
ering southwestern territory.
In the event the proposed mixed car
rate, which will establish regular
carload rates for each commodity, is
put into effect, late season ship
ments into southeast territory will
show another gain, shippers state.
The new mixed car rate was an
nounced three weeks ago by the
Southern Pacific and Missouri Pa
cific officials, but has been delayed
pending agreement with the south
east.
Thus far practically all shipments
to southeastern destinations ha\'e
been cabbage, and that territory also
will take a large part of the Valley
new patoto crop which will begin to
move about the middle of March.
Valley Was Barred
Prior to last year Valley products
were practically barred from the
southeast, but establishment of the
new rate and more liberal minimums,
representing a reduction of approxi
mately 20 per cent, has cast three
barriers aside, and Valley vegetables
are now pouring into a territory
which formerly drew virtually all its
supplies from Florida.
For several years Valley shippers
had been endeavoring to invade the
markets offered at Atlanta, Birming
ham, Chattanooga. Richmond. Win
ston-Salem, Charleston. S. C., and
other large centers. Occasional or
ders were received, principally for
early potatoes, but the high rate and
higher minimum acted as an effec
tual barrier.
In 1922 the first movement to se
cure lower rates and better mini
mums into those markets was in
augurated, but proved abortive. In
1926 a small reduction was secured,
but it was not until last year that
the establishment of new rates for
the entire southwest opened these
markets to Valley production.
If negotiations on the mixed car
rate prove successful, another barrier ;
will be removed, opening the hundreds j
of small markets north and east of
New Orleans. The Missouri Pacific
and Southern Pacific, which have
been joined by other southwestern
roads in the effort to establish a
more favorable mixed car rate, are
working to accomplish this, though
considerable opposition has been pre
sented by Florida shippers aad grow
ers.
Approve Valley Products
According to advices received hy
Valley shippers who have formed
contacts in the southeast and are
now supplying some of the jobbing
houses in the major centers of pop
ulation, Valley products have met
the approval of the consumers, and
they predict a steadily increasing
demand. Valley potatoes went onto
practically all southeastern markets
last year, and jobbers have announc
ed their orders will be increased this
season. The present movement into
that section consists almost entirely
of cabbage, and the Valley product
has established itself on a number of
the markets.
Florida still has an advantage in
(Continued on page two.)
TEACHERS NOW
GET OWN JOBS
Calls Show Decrease
University Of
Texas Says
AUSTIN, Tex.. Feb. 16.—Cells for
teachers from schools of Texas were
made through the Teachers appoint
ment committee of the University
of Texas to the number of 1388
during 1928. acording to the annual
report of Miss Miriam Dozier, sec
retary of the committee, to Presi
dent H. Y. Benedict. This is the
smallest number received by the
committee in six years, due chiefly,
it is thought, to the large number
of teachers available and to the fact
that teachers are more aggressive in
seeking positions than formerly.
‘The decrease In the number of
calls is seen In almost all lines,” it
is stated In the report. “However,
In the field of college and univer
sity teaching, there is seen a slight
increase. This is indeed gratifying,
for the function of our universtiy
should be more and more the sup
plying of teachers for other colleges
and universities. It is of interest
to note here that of the 198 calls
for teachers of this kind, almost 25
per cent required the doctor of
philosophy degree.
“There was an Increase in the
number of out-of-state calls this
year over the preceding year, there
heing lRt pf these as against 129
last yesr. Sixty-four of these were
for college and university teachers,
many of them requiring the doctor
of philosophy degree.” •
I.ouisiaan heads the list of states
sending in calls for teachers to the
Texas committee, with a total of 27
calls. Oklahoma is next, with 23.
while New Mexico and Missouri are
third and fourth, with 20 and seven
teen respectively. Twenty states are
renresnted, and two foreign coun
tries, France and Mexico. Franc©
j sent two inquiries about natives of
i France studying in Texas, while
1 Mexico sent only one call.
Texas Proposes To Preserve
Alamo, Independence Shrine,
For Generations of Future
SAN ANTONIO, Tex. Feb. 16.—VP)
—Paved streets and plasss, stores and
towering business buildings sur
round the Alamo, the “Thermopylae
of the western hemisphere.**
Commercial demands have en
croached on the Alamo until nothing
but the church and a portion of the
walls remain. The church now bouses
a collection of historical documents
and objects.
A bill before the state legislature
proposes a 91,000,000 appropriation to
recover as much of the old tract as
possible.
The Alamo's defenders in the war
for Texas independence died to a
man rather than surrender, and their
brave sacrifice like that of the 300
Spartans under Leonidas, who gave
their lives defendingnig the mountain
pass through which the Persians had
to go before they could invade
Greece.
The stonework around the door of
that part of the Alamo which still
stenda is deeply pitted with bullet
marks made by Santa Anna's Mexican
soldiers as they stormed the gar
rison. The building was originally
the church of the Mission San An
tonio de Valero. The mission itself
included land on all sides of the
church. The first stone of the church
was laid and blessed by Spanish
priests in 1744, hut some of the build
ings antedsted the chapel.
The battle of the Alamo was the
outstanding engagement in the war
for Texas independence. Santa Anna,
defeated, had returned to Mexico for
an army of 5.000. Meantime there
was dissension among the Texans
as to whether independence or justice
under Mexican rule was most desir
able.
As .a result Lieut. Col. W. B.
Travis, in command of the Alamo, did
.not receive reinforcements. A large
[•force of Mexicans gradually invested
the town until Travis’ 200 men were
driven to the Alamo for refuge.
Travis assembled his men and,
declaring he never would surrender,
drew a line in front of him and re
quested til who would stay with him
to step across the mark. All but one
walked across the line. The excep
tion was Col. James Bowie, who, be
cause of illness with pneumonia, or
dered the soldier? to cary him across,
and he fought until all his ammuni
tion was exhausted.
After a 13-day siege the Mexicans
broke into the fort March 6, 1836.
‘They slew every defender.
No man knows where the ashes of
the defenders rest. Santa Anna had
the bodies burned on two great pyres.
When Texans recaptured the town,
they buried the remains, but the
exact spot is pot known. A tablet
has been erected on the approximate
j location.
■ • - -- —.— - —■
The Alamo at San Antonio, Tex., is the ‘Thermopylae” of the west
ern hemisphere. There 200 Texans died in the Texas mar for inde
pendence, after they had held back a larjre Mexican force for 13
days. The fortress, once a church, now serves as a museum.
Woman Visiting in
Valley is Pleased,
Home Editor Told
Mrs. Mary White Case, from Mil- j
ford, Iowa, here spending the winter
with her brother, George White,
thinks well of the Valley, a letter
she has written to her paper at
home indicates.
The letter, as reprinted here from
the Mllferd Mail, will prove inter
esting to Valley citizens as it re
veals the impressions gained by
visitors to the section.
Mr. White, himself a Valley en
thusiast, undoubtedly has been able
to present the possibilities in an
entertaining light.
Mrs. Case wrote:
Brownsville, Tex., Jan. 24, 1929.
Dear Droflims:
If you think I'm writing all these
letters just for the fun of seeing
them in the Mail you are mistaken.
1 expect to hear from you the same j
as if 1 had written you each a let
ter. Now “laugh that off."
The neighbors just now are com
paring lemons. One has one that i
measures 22x18 inches, and we have |
one that we picked up in George's
back yard that measures 14 1-2x15
inches. Some lemon, and they are!
fine flavor as well
W'e took another wonderful trip
up the Valley last Monday and 1
want to share some of the pleasures
with the home folks. Brother George
took his big car and Alice and a
Mr. Alcorn, the manager at the “gar
den farm,” Dad and I and George
left here at 8:30 a. m. A lovely,
warm, bright morning, we drove
without a wrap and sailed along on
No. 2 up to Pharr, then four miles
north to George’s farm whore he
had some business with his tenant.
They are selling the cabbage and
carrots now; then on to Edinburg
where George bought a span uf
mules. There are very few horses
down here. The men folks seemed
well satisfied with the mule deal.
I didn’t have anything to do with
that, so 1 can’t say. W« wished
we had had the time to look up
Mr. Shelledy again but when you
are only a passenger you can’t boss
the job always. We came back to
Pharr and to San Juan (wan, the
j has the sound of w alwa. s in
Spanish) where we had the most
delicious dinner. Just for fun I'll
tell you the cats: Breaded pork
chops, baked ham and cabbage
(Jiggs), candied sweet potatoes,
Irish potatoes, creamed carrots,
stewed tomatoes, hot corn bread,
and I forgot we had a vegetable
soup to begin with and a lettuce
salad with thousand island dressing,
then the best custard pie I ever
tasted and coffee for dessert. There
ts a darky cook who has made this
place famous for her cooking, and
her husband has charge of the
dining room. It was 12:30 when we
got there to eat, and you can imag
ine not much got away. Of course
some one will want to know the
price, so I’ll tell you—75c per plate,
and no tips.
From Tharr we went over to Mc
Allen, about 3 miles. It’s all built
1 up so. with lovely homes and or
1 chards. You can hardly tell when
you are out of one town and into
the next. On our way back from
McAllen we went four miles north
and one mile east and called on J.
O. Miller. Mrs. Miller will be re
membered as May Ontisdel. They
came down here 13 years ago, con
sequently they have a fine grape
fruit and orange orchard. They
were packing oranges that day, and
had two bushel baskets of what they
called culls on hand. I asked “What
do yon get for tho culls?” May
said, “Oh, let us get yon some good
oranges.” We said these looked
good to as and we bought a bnshel
for 60 cents. We really felt guilty
to get so much for our morey.
These oranges are perfectly ripe,
bat some have a blemish oa the
outside which does not allow them ,
to be shipped. The law is very
strict regarding the quality of the
fruit sent out of the Valley. Toe
Millers seem well and prosperous
and wouldn’t live any place else but
down here. They are on a fine new
concrete road into McAllen, recently
opened.
On our way home we pased a 10
acre field of carrots being harvested
by a group of workers, which 1 wish
you could have seen. First picture
the vivid green of the carrot tops,
then think of 25 or 30 laborers, the
women and children dressed in all
the bright colors of the rainbow and
the men with their big picturesque
(Continued on page two)
VALLEY BIRD
SANCTUARIES
RECO l
Section Is Ideal For
Refugees, Asser t s
Dr. L. H. Pammell,
Visitor Here
That the Lower Rio Grande Valley
is especially suited for bird sanc
tuaries, such as are authorized un
der the Norbeck bill passed by con
gress recently, « the opinion c-f Dr.
L. H. Pammell, noted wild bird life
authority, who is spending six weeks
in Brownsville and the Valley.
Since his arrival here Dr. Pammell
has made tours to various sections
and declares he was agreeably sur
prised at its agricultural resources,
but what to him was most gratifying,
was the opportunity for relugees for
birds. He said the state should do
its share in the work of preserving
birds native to Texas by alloting oi
land for sanctuaries.
Beautification of the highway* and
resacas in the Valley *lso was urged
by the visitor, who said such work
would do much to impress the visitor.
Sanctuaries Needed Here
“The Valley is just the place for
such wild game refugees as author
ised under the Norbeck bill,” said Dr.
Pammell, who is head of the depart
ment of Botany at Iowa State Col
lege, Ames. “1 understand that wild
ducks spend the entire year in this
section, and of course all know that
thousands of other birds migrate
here each winter.
“It certainly is most gratifying to
all lovers of wild game and bird life
to know that congress passed the
Norbeck bill providing for bird re
fugees. Every conservationist in this
country will be pleased by the action
of congress and I wish especially to
commend and congratulate, not only
your Texas solons, but all members
of congress," the doctor said.
Dr. Pammell declared special praise
was due to Representative Anderson
of Minnesota, who introduced the
Norbeck bill, and to Rep. Gilbert N.
Haugen of Iowa, chairman of the
committee on agriculture through
whose efforts a favorable report was
given the measure.
Dr. Pammell also said credit for
passage of the bill should be given to
President Coolidge, Secretary Jar
dine, the Isaac Walton League, W. T.
Hornaday, A. D. Holtaus and Stanley
C. Arthur of Louisiana for thetT ef
forts in behalf of the measure.
Progressive Expenditure
In detail the Norbeck bill author
izes the expenditure of certain defi
nite sums to meet the progressive re
i (Continued on page two.)
a
ir:" ' jgL; 5», i;: * *
Cameron Potato
Tests Under Way
SAN BENITO, Feb. 16.—“The Irish
potato growers of Cameron county
lose annually over $2,000 from soil
borne scab. Treating the potatoes
before planting does not control the j
scab, so the soil must be treated and
sulphur is being tried,” Coun'.y Agent [
Henry Alsmeyer reports.
“A three-year demonstration is be
ing carried on in cooperation with
the experiment station on the M. F. J
Orr farm at Los Fresnos. The test i
plot is divided into one-fourth acre j
plots and sulphur is applied before
planting in varying amounts, and j
untreated plots are also left so that
the results can be checked.
“Cameron county is the largest j
early Irish potato producing section
in the United States. The big prob- |
lem is not to find which variety does 1
the best, as the Bliss Triumph is su- ;
perior to all others, but from which |
northern growers to obtain our seed
in order to get increased yields.
“The county agent obtained seed
for a test plot from five different
states: Colorado, Wyoming, Nebras
ka. South Dakota and Wisconsin.
This seed was furnished by growers
in the different states, local dealers,
and farmers. The different lots of
seed all received the same cultiva
tion and irrigation. This is the fifth
year that the potato test plot has
been carried on. The average yield
of the test plot for the past four
years for certified seed is 174 bushels
per acre: numher ones, 147. The
certified out yielded the number ones
by 27 bushels per acre.”
ENTRY LISTS FOR
RELAY GAMES SOUGHT
AUSTIN, Tex., Feb. 16.—Circular
letters have been sent to 800 schools
and colleges over the United States
requesting information regarding
their prospective entries in the
Fifth Texas Annual Relay Games to
be held at the University of Texas
March 20, acording to Clen “Ox”
Higgins. relay manager. High
schools, academies, junior colleges,
senior colleges and universities were
included on the list.
JACK RABBITS NO PEST
TO KANSAS COLLECTOR
HUTCHINSON. Fans.. Feh. 16.—
</F)~Koon C. Reck has turned pests
into profits by marketing thousands
of Kansas jack rabbits.
He Is railed "the man who will
buy anything’ because he collects
almost any kind of bird or animal.
His menagerie, begun in his boy
hood, now includes animals from
fancy chickens to Hons.
Beck started buying and selling
rabbits 15 years ago. Business grew
so fast he employed a crew of men
to dress animals and ship their
pelta.
In 1918 Beclc contracted to supply
1.200.000 rabbits for army canton
ments. Now his business comes
from commission houses, felt bat
concerns and fox farms, which use
the maat for fox feed.
FRESHWATER
LAKES TO DOT
ENM AREA
Ruling of Water Board
Will Assure Ample
Supplies For Irriga
tion Projects
Storage of Rio Grande waters, a*
provided by the atate board of wa
ter engineers in granting permits to
all new districts, will prove an im
portant factor in hastening develop
ment of tho unirrigated areas of the
Lower Rio Grande Valley, is the
verdict of irrigation leadeis.
The rule announced by the state
water board last year provides that
all districts must assure that stor
age will be provided upon the basis
of one acre foot of water for every
acre to come under irrigation. Per
mits to divert water from the Rjo
Grande will not be granted until
this rule is complied with.
Since promulgation of this rule,
five new districts have been organ
ized in Cameron county, and the
sixth is in the process of organisa
tion. In each case provision has
been made to provide ample storage,
the volume in some cases exceeding
that prescribed by tho state water
board.
In practically all distrists waste,
lands are being utilised for storage
basins, lands which would serve no
other purpose, being resaca beds or
depressions into which the surface
waters flow. Some of the districts
can fill their reservoirs by gravity
flow from the Rio Grande during
periods of high water; others will
have a low lift, but practically all
storage waters will come from tho
stream during flood periods.
The Willacy Project
Tho W illary county project, which
proposes storage exceeding 200,000
acre feet, is the most ambitious
of the kind ever launched. The dis
trict will create at least two huga
artificial lakes, each several miles in
extent, which will impound flood
waters from the river. One of the
reservoirs will be located several
miles east of Sebastian and the oth
er in the Mesteneg tract.
Cameron district No. 14, which
; will water 15.000 acres of coastal
I lands, will utilize natural reservoirs
east of the El Jardin tract, creating
two largs fresh water lakes, whleh
will receive the flood waters of tho
Rio Grande by gravity, to be pump
ed from the reservoirs into the Irri
gation canals. The new projects
which will be watered by the Loa
Frcsnos district, districts 10, 11, 12
and 13, also are required to provide
storage and will utilize the CuatM
and other resacan and natural de
pression. District No. 15, which will
comprise 1,800 acres in the Beckam
tract west of Rio Hondo, also s ill
utilize natural depressions for stor
age. receiving its water supply
through the canals of the Harlingen
ayste •».
Cameron and Hidalgo counties!
each have an irrigation project inj
which stored drainage waters will bo
utilized. The Fngelman lands, com
prising approximately 8,000 acres
north of Elsa, will be watered front
the drainage of the Pharr-San Juan
Alamo and Donna irrigation dis
tricts, utiliing both the surface anti
seepage waters. Ths drain outlet
carried northward from the Donm*
district and pumped into a large res
ervoir from which it will be distrib
uted over the acreage by gravity.
1’tUize Former Lagoon
In northeastern Csmeron county
the Al Parker Securities company is
develooing approximately 5,000 acres
by utilizing *he Laguna Atascosa,
(Continued on page two.)
ISSUE REPORT
ON ACTIVITIES
Home Demonstration
Clubs of County
Are Active
SAN BENITO. Fob. 18.—Th© fol
lowing report on Cameron county
home demonstration club activities
was issued this week by Miss Kate
Adel© Hill, county home demonstra
tion agent:
Th© month of February was mark
ed by the visit of extension work
ers and members of the Southern
Agricultural Association who tour
ed tho Valley on February 8, fol
lowing the celebration of the twenty
fifth anniversary of extension work,
held in Houston on February 4 to 7.
The group entered th© Valley at Ed
inburg where breakfast was served
at the Edinburg high school cafe
teria. From there points of inter
est in Hidalgo county were visited
and luncheon was served at th*
Woman’s Chamber of Commerce
building at Harlingen.
Th© Cameron county home dem
onstration club women prepared suf
1 ficient eryataliied grapefruit peel to
present each guest with a small bas
ket as favors at the luncheon in
• Harlingen. One representative from
1 each club acted as a reception com
1 mitte© an dassisted in serving, th©
luncheon.
I ' Mis Benni© Campbell, district
i home demonstration agent, fnr this
• section, remained over following th*
• Valley tide trip for a few days’ visit,
> as did Mr. A. L. Smith, district farm
agent.
r Miss Lola Blair, foods and nutrl
r tion specialist of A. A M. college,
i will b© in Cameron county. Febru
r ary 22 and 2.1. On the afternoon
of February 23. Mist Blair will at
r tend the Los Indios club.
Yard Improvement
i On February 14. 15 jind 16, Mr.
t Fred W. Westcourt. director of the
s department of rpyal arts of th© Col
(Continued on pag* two.)
\