, 1884-06-17
DANA ON MEXICO.
The sterilisy of the Soil and tho
Scarcity of Water.
The Mountains Grim and bare In an
Attenuated AtmoSphere-HIin-
Ing the Chief Business
How Prosecuted.

IChns. A Dana In N. y. SUM-
Nine.tanths Of Mexic, consists of a vast
plain elevated from COCO TO 5000 feet above
the sea level, enclosed GU the east and on the
west by lofty ranges OF mountains. The soil
OF most OF this immense plateau would b
fertile, no doubt. If there were an abundance
Of water, but scarcity OF water is its most inn
pressive feature. The mountains on either
side nrrBst md exclude the natural moisture
from the two oceans Tho streams are
few and small, and except during a
brief rainy season of two months In sum
mer, agriculture is only possible through
tins aid OF artificial irrigation. The
sum Of water available for this purpose is ex
ceelingly limited, iuuch Inferior, indeed, to
the supply employed for the same purpose in
Colorado and New Mexico. Thus during the
dry season n large proportion Of the Mexican
plateau has the appearance OF n desert. From
FL Paso o. the Rio Grnnle on the north, down
to Zncntecas, a distance of $50 miles, the
whole land at this timo of the year is water
less, verdurelcss, an expanse mainly com
posed ofsand and dry dugt, relieved only by
n svattciei growth Of cactus aud mesquit
bushes. The mountains stand grim aud bare
in the attenlated atmosphere. without a tree
and almost without a shrub upon their
broad and tawny sides. Here and there, at
great distances, the course of n stream may
draw a ribbon OF greenness across the arid
LANDSCAPE, or hacienda, with its group of
farm buildings enclosed In a MASSIVE stone
wllt like n fortress. suggest the fact Of
human h~abitation; or n herd OF cattle or Il
flock OF sheep may diversity tho scene; but
the prevailing effect is that of a f~ruitless
waste, MIR. D.. Robinson, the able manager Of
the Mexicnn Central railroad, cherishes the
hope OF finding, through the means of arte-
sian wells, water enough TO irrigate this
rgt1pfp,r. lint vyhnpaf g gY,ch m HAdv nF x,otnr
to be taken from! The only possible source
would be the rainy slopes on the east and
west Of the great enclosing sierras; but we
fear that the probability Of giving fertility
TO The region through irrigation from arte-
sian wells Is very small indeed.
This formation, this dry, elevated plain,
extenls from the northern boundary of
Mexico very far south. Our excursions only
reached into tho state Of Morelos, some hum.
dred miles south Of the capital; but there the
general character of the plateau RENAME /
substantially unchanged; and it is not too
much to say that in nine-tenths Of the Mexi-
can republic the land Is OF this sort-destituto
OF qualities that are indispe lsable for ngri-
cultural purposes. This also accounts To a
considerable extent, for the surprising mag
uitudo OF the estates into which the country
is divided, Except in a few favored and
limited districts, there are no small farms
there because culture i'll small holdings is out
Of the question; md estates of hundreds OF
thousands Of acres arc the rule, because it Is
ouly on nm extensive scale that farming can
DO made to pay its expenses in such a coun-
try; and it must be mainly cattle and sheep
farming at that. H.
The chief business prosecuted In Mexico to-
day is mining. So It hos been for the last
$50 years, aud so, we presume, it will be.
From this source was, derived the enormous
wealth which in former times the Spaninrls
drnw-frum Mexico. With the profits of min
ing, tho massive and costly buildings OF tn"
Mexican cities, all relics OF the Spanish epoch,
were constructed; and whatever prosperity
may DO in store for Mexico hereafter, must,
We suppose, mainly proceed from the same
source. 1t is not an agricultural country;
it is IL mining country, with a little agricul-
turo thrown in. Nature made it such. and
such it mains. r.