The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1881-03-31
AvaONG THE AZrECs.
DurIous Modes Of Agriculture
Wines nud riimfme.
a brilliant H4rftcr arolm Oar
Western Correspondent.
MrsitLA, Nav MEXICO.

Western Correspondent.
MEsfLLA, Nav MEXICO.
March Z. 1850
The denizens OF tbs strange city
and the surrounding country are a
curious study This letter viii be
leyosed to giving your readers some
sdca oftheir habits Of life and their
modes Of agriculture. The Mesilla
valley from which this city takes its
aama is one OF the most famous In
New Mexico for It's agricultural pro
ducts Il exieads along the Rio
Grande tor seventy five miles and
having an elevation of near 1000
feet the air Is perneatod with elec-
lricily anl ozone making C santa
lium which is visited hy thousands
effected with asthma bronchial and
and pulmonary diseases The climate
is superb, the thermometer never
reaching zero Snow rarely whit
ent the earth, and hot and sultry
nights are unknown. To an Eastern
traveller the novel sights and expert
euccs he encounters are so full OF IN
terest that he IS 10th to depart from
this land of the Azlecs. 7 came here
lin The full Of harvest time" when
this beautiful valley along the Rio
Grande was yellow as gold with its
carpet ofripened cereals. Since then
/ have learned much BY being
brought into contact With the people
OF this foreign country who, until
within q few months, have been 50
isolated aud shut out from the out
side world as 10 know nothing of its
modes, styles and modern civiliza-
ton 1t me show your readers o
picture OF this valley. On either
side grand old mountains rear their
peak, high up into heavens pure
ether Coursing along at our feet in
sluggish qniel rolls tho Historic Rio
Gmnde, which rises in Colorado,
runs into New Mexico between the
two chains of the Rockies, and con-
tinues southwark through the whole
length of the territory just there,
on Its bank, is gathered a large mum
Der Of MexieaLs bedecked in gay
aud bright array Hilarity and mirth
rule queen of the hour Men and
women join IN dances and strange
spQrts 4 little distance away q gay
fandanga Is going on to the time Of
nonotOaous music. We approach,
and Ia our "half groan Spanish" ask
why this merry making, and are told
that it is "the harvest festival. : The
Sod OF the Azlecs las smiled upon
tie cereals and thc harvest has been
abundant. Al a little distance to the
lefg the process Of lhreshing out the
grain q going on Shades Of Colo-
nai1! How aniiquatedl A circular
enclosure IS made hy driving poles
side by side close together inio the
earth The hard ground has been
swept clean and the wheat 10 be
thieshed is spread upon it. Withia
are a dozen goats and as many chil .
dren wAo are shouting and laughing
aud driving the frightened animals
round and round TIE arena, while
now aud then halt is made to allow
the master of the harvess to lufn over
tae straw, when or again scampor
tie goats and children This is kept
up for several days, when The straw
is removed aad the plump grain
gathered into b0Ni shaped grass bas
kets. To be picked over, winnowed
and cleaned by the women The
harvest time is always a gay season,
and all the young people join 10 the
festivi les. Now let me SLOW you
one Of their agricultural implements.
/ You will, I fear, laugh, but you must
not let them see you, for these are a
sensitive and unlorgiying people.
4 Here is q plow, long beam, to one
end OF which is hi,ched a single steer
or OK, while the other end is smooth
ed OF fof handle. Fastened to 1t
aboat midway in a slopiug position,
lisa stick pointed at the lower end,
which scratches up the fertile and
mellow soil. THIS is the ehiefimple
,nent OF Mexican agriculture Imag
/ inc it, you farmers on the pFairles
/ who ride upon your sulky nlows and
SOW your wheat with drills. This
coalition ofthings, however, is soon
llikely TO change, to be superseded
/ hy American implements. The ler'
tiiity and magnificent climate Of The
/ Rio ifande valley, the great demand
/ for agricultural products, owing to
| the advent of she A. T. q S I. 4. r.
is settling this valley with 2 better
class OF farmers who will not only
! ouen the eyes Of the Mexieans, but
/ make fortunes for themselves. ]
had sooner own good farm (and
they can be had for songl in this
valley than any place / have visited
/ IN the west. The vast mineral inter
ests aud their mining camps are ere
atino a great demand for cereals anC
vegetables Fruit grows here luxa-
riantly and IS found IN great album
dance. Apples, pears, plums, aprl-
cots. quinces, hgs, pomegranatei
and an email fruits are grown il
great perfection The grape was 10
troduced by The Spapiards long year.
aro 7 never tasted such luscious
fruit aud 1he clusters rivaled thosl
of Esehol in size aud beauty Ihu
surely Is the garden spot Of thI
southTest. Mines 10 this region arr
being rapidly developed and thl
wealth Of yield found is wonderful
{ The excitement i5 like the iaror ove
the early discoveries 10 California
, and many a miner is going back 4
his eastern homo ia lew years wiz
/ N lis pockets full ofcoin and health.
! bank account / would advise an.
, Young man who has nerve and gri
J 10 come to New Mexico. More toI
! tunes uiI he made here in the mex
, few Years than IL any other localit
E I'M America