FARMING IN THE LOWER RIO GRANDE DISTRICT. 9 
possible to determine in advance the approximate conditions of the 
market at harvest time, and thus the time and amount of planting 
may be controlled, but this is not general. 
SPECIAL CROPS. 
Strawberries are produced in limited quantities. The successful 
crops have generally been marketed locally. A large increase in 
acreage is not encouraged. 
Sugar beets have been advocated, but the beets grown thus far have 
not been sweet enough to justify the enterprise as a source of sugar 
production. 
Grapes have been tried without success, failure being due to plant 
diseases and to lack of knowledge of methods. Some attention has 
been given to the cultivation of figs as a commercial proposition, but 
thus far this enterprise has not met with success. 
Considerable attention has been given to the production of citrus 
fruits, and the production of oranges and grapefruit has been the 
basis of much advertising for the region. A very good quality of 
fruit is produced when the various difficulties of production are over- 
come, but no growers were found who had made a financial success 
of these enterprises. Among the difficulties encountered are loss of 
stock from freezing, disease, insect injuries, and lack of knowledge 
of methods of handling an enterprise of such delicate and varied 
requirements. 
Sugar cane is produced principally on the large farms or planta- 
tions. On account of the fact that this crop requires equipment of 
large size and a great amount of power, it is not adapted to the aver- 
age farm of the region. 
Kecently castor beans have been attempted on a commercial basis, 
but these have not been grown a sufficient length of time to determine 
their success. 
STAPLE CROPS. 
Corn is the leading staple crop raised in the region; the average 
3'ield is -±2 bushels per acre. The average cost of producing corn for 
the market under conditions prevalent at the time of this study was 
78 cents per bushel, while the market value was 67 cents. When corn 
is produced as a side line on truck farms the cost is less than 30 
cents per bushel. It is more profitable to feed corn to stock than to 
dispose of it on the market. The crop is not raised profitably as the 
main source of income of the farm, but when produced to balance up 
the farm organization it is very profitable. 
Alfalfa is produced successfully on well-drained land where little 
or no alkali is found. The average yield under present conditions is 
slightly over 4 tons per acre, or about 1 ton per cutting, produced at 
a cost of $8.60 per ton. The market value is approximately $13.50 
per ton. As in other regions, good drainage is an absolute essential 
to the successful production of alfalfa here. 
30481°— Bull. 665—18 2 
