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Some cotton is raised at Concepcion, about 15 miles off the railroad 
to the south of Benavides station; also at San Antonio Viejo, which is 
on the stage road about half way between Pefia and Kio Grande City. 
About 10 or 15 bales hi the seed are sent annually from San Antonio 
Viejo up to Pefia, en route to Benavides to be ginned. No cotton is 
raised anywhere around Pefia, nor between Pefia and Benavides, and 
none between Pefia and Laredo. 
To the north of Laredo none is raised for 70 or 80 miles. The first 
fields seen on the International and Great Northern Railway going 
north from Laredo are at Dilley, which is 79 miles from Laredo. Very 
large fields exist around Pearsall and farther north. Up to three years 
ago some cotton was raised at Catulla (south of Dilley), but drought has 
caused the abandonment of it. 
Cotton, is raised more or less along the Eio Grande on the Mexican 
side all the way from Matamoras up to opposite Eagle Pass and Del 
Rio. The corresponding cotton region on the American side exists 
only from Brownsville to Carrizo and at Del Rio. This territory rep 
resen.ts only a small region compared to the cotton -producing region 
on the Mexican side, as none is grown near the river anywhere between 
Carrizo and Del 'Rio. 
I was informed that cotton is not at present grown near Xuevo 
Laredo, but that its cultivation was attempted there three or four 
years ago and since abandoned. As it may be resumed there at any 
time, the weevil is apt to reach that district from the nearest infested 
district in Mexico. Considerable cotton is grown around Chid ad Por- 
firio Diaz and up and down the river on the Mexican side, and these 
localities will doubtless soon become infested. 
ISOLATION OF OUR COTTON REGION FROM THAT OF MEXICO. 
In order to prevent new installments of the weevil being received 
from Mexico, it will be necessary for cotton raising to be abandoned 
throughout a wide strip of country all along the Texas border. The 
cotton fields of Texas can be maintained against new invasion from 
Mexico in this way only. Cotton should be abandoned at Brownsville 
and as far up as Carrizo. This will be no great hardship, as this is 
only a small strip of country, comparatively, and much more valuable 
and important crops can be produced in this wonderful lower Rio 
Grande region with a certainty of success, while cotton, if persisted in, 
will only fall to the weevil. It would be better also to abandon cotton 
at Del Rio, although that is quite well isolated from the other cotton 
districts of Texas, and might be allowed to remain until it becomes 
infested, inasmuch as other crops would not: do well there. In case it 
were found necessary to make a complete non-cotton belt, however. 
Del Rio would have to be included. A complete protective non-cotton 
belt on our border would involve the abandonment of cotton in the 
regions of Brownsville, Santa Maria, Hidalgo, Rio Grande City, Carrizo, 
