Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-03-01
A MEXICAN FARM.


Montezumas Buildings that Cover Four Five
Acres of Ground---The Working Force of the
Farm.
NV. H. Bishop in Harper's MagazineI
A weeks visit at the hacienda of
Tepenacasco proved enc of the most
agreeable experiences of my whole tour.
The house was approached by the main
road by long lane through fields of the
purple-fowerlng alfalfa, larger and
harder clover; past dark-walled corral,
or cattleyard; a very long, steep-roofed
barracks for laborers' quarters; and by a
pond empowered in willows. From a
distance, with its numerous out-build-
ings, it had the appearance of ducal
residence. 1t is palmer when reached,
the space Immediately in front having a
farm-yard appearance, and containing in
the center very large stone threshing-
floor of the kind in which it is customary
to thresh out grain, just as in the patjos,
by troops of running horses. 1t is of
rubble stone, plastered and neatly white
washed; single liberal story in height.
the part devoted to the residence having
large windows, covered with gratings,
and holfry on top. To this are added,
on the TANKS, such a collection of gran
aries and corrals that facade is made of
probably six hundred feet in length.
Some fronts project from the wall beside
door opening to the family chapel.
Over the main entrance-door is an in
scription: "E'a aQueSte deStierro q
soledad disfratto del tesor0 de la o0z, y
I'm this retirement and solitude Z eni oy
the treasure of peace) Each principal
granary or barn Called troje) is in
scribed also with its title. They are
built to keep the contents cool and of an
even temperature, with walls of great
thickness. Buttressed without, and with
columns or piers of yard square, run
ming down the center of the long dim in
teriors, they are more like basilicas of
the early Christians than ones precon-
ceived idea of barn.
The buildings in the central clump,
not counting those detached, cover alone
between four and five acres of ground.
The estate of which they are the focal
point is eighteen miles in one dimension
by six In the other, and contains not less
than 40, 900 acres. There are 1 700 head
of cattle and other things in proportion.
On the payroll, In the week in which [
was privileged to witness the operations,
were laborers to the extent of 1850, men
and boys. [ confess to fondness for
country life, and with such a novel do
main to explore, one must be difficult,
indeed, not to be pleased. One day we
mounted on horseback to go to visit the
corrals, where portions of the animals
are kept at night, according to thei1
change of pasture; another, to the Ole
de Aqua, lovely spring, made mention
of by Humboldt; again, to examine the
different crops; again, to various white
hamlets that, like the city of Tulan,
cingo, farther in the distance, dot the
plain. At Acatlan is most charming
dark old ruined convent, with the green
bronze bells yet hanging In the steeple.
One day the household ensconsed itself
In a large wagon covered with willow
boughs, and we drove to Zupitlan, a
ruined hacienda, church and hamlet on
the estate itself, and held picnic.
A high grassy hill, the Cerro, behind
the house, affords wide views. We are
in the midst of level valley, with gent
~ sloping mountains On all the bounda-
ries. The leading crops are maize, bar
ley and maguey. The tlachiguero goes
around every day, with his donkey car
rying wine-skins, collecting the sweet
sap from the maguey to make the oulQue.
He pours it into watts of skin in his de-
partment to ferment, treats it in his
practiced way for fortnight or more,
and then it is ready for sale. We see
sometimes forty ploughman come in and
unyoke their teams of an evening. The
agricultural implements of the larger
sort in use are American, but ploughs
spades, picks and the like are manufac-
tured at Acapulco, near by, more cheaply
There are interesting homemade wooden
forks and shovels yet remaining. Among
the rest, the veritable Egyptian plough
of wood, with but an iron point, is much
more in use than the modern sort. Ano
for its purpose of turning shallow fur.
rows and ploughing between the rows OF
maize it appears, to tell the truth, not IL
adapted. The ground is treated by ir.
rigation, no less than eleven large dams
one of them creating a lake two miles
long, being formed for this purpose
The portions of land used for cultivation
are taken irregularly in various parts Of
the estate, according to their proximity
to these. Each has its name, as Las
Animas, San Antonio the Larger, San
Antonio the Less.
But 1T is a grazing country, and the
chief industries are the raising of All
mails and the making of butter and
cheese. The greater part of the cattle
are hornless, which is effected by 6
simple process of soaring the tender
horn when sprouting, after which it does
not increase. The idea is worth atten
ton by American farmers and those who
have to do with the transportation O
cattle. The calf here remains with it,
mother under all circumstances. 1t is
quaint sight at milking time to see i
lassoed fast to its mother, whose hind
legs are also lassoed, waiting, by M
means patiently, the conclusion of thu
ceremony. Each of the departments il
under the command of it's own chief
and an accurate supervision and recort
is made of the whole. Outside tn
nhOl1 4IO 4,