The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-06-19
FARMING In MEXICO.
sLovENLY AND STUPID METHODS IN
AGRICULTURE.


rectly to tho slovenly system OF farming
which Is there 50 universal The agricul-
tural resources of the land are enormous, as
may be sufficiently proved from the fact
that not over one-fifth of the best land on
the great plateau is under the pillow; yet
that one-fifth supports millions OF people
with a style Of farming that In California
was utterly worthless and would produce
starvation In the best sections OF New York
or Pennsylvania Vast tracts OF the finest
adobe soil on belt Of more certain and
abundant rains than any part OF the east
enjoys in summer lie yet unbroken and used
only for stock range In tho dryer sections OF
the northern parts millions of acres that would
raise good crops in three years out OF five
and with good cultivation would raise
something in the other two, millions more
than that could be irrigated II the water
were properly distributed, as In California,
instead Of being wasted, now lie In the same
way.
or cultivation the Mexican as a rule
knows absolutely nothing. His sole concsp-
ton of the utility Of blowing is TO scratch
up enough loose earth to cover the seed. Oc-
casionaliy corn-feld Is seen in which the
plow may have been put once after the seed
has been own, but In the great majority OF
fields tns ground IL never touched after
planting. The sole trust after planting Is re-
posed Ia water. II the rainfall il sufficient,
we'll enough. But II IL does not rain enough
tho ground Is then drenched by irriga-
ton OF underditches By sufficient rainfall
the farmer in Mexico means enough to keep
the ground wet all the time. Last fall they
were complaining seriously about the dryest
season they ever had, yet the gauge showed
fall of sixteen inches in the valley Of Mex
leo during the five growing months, more
than the best of the eastern states get three
years out Of five As the Mexican average
Ii about twenty four inches, with a max
Imum OF thirty six, it is easy TO understand
why they would think sixteen quite low
But did not see corn-feld south Of Zaca-
tecas that would not have made a fair crop
II IL had been decently put In and attended
OF cultivation TO keep the ground moist and
TO loosen It so that the plant-roots may PEN
citrate IL the Mexican never dreamS
Nearly all OF the blowing Is done with
wooden plows made on the farms by the
poems, or Indian laborerS A stick OF hard
wood four or FIVE inches Ia diameter is
sharpened at the end which is sometimes
shod with iron. About the middle Of this
the beam is attacked and at the back end
single handle The beam has a cross-piece
TO which the oxen's horns are lashed with raw
hide The poem then takes the hanlle in his
right hand and a long goad-stick in his left
The pillow makes a round-bottomed gutter In
the ground two or three inches deep, some
times deeper II the ground is In good condi-
ton. This gutter Is about as straight as a
rut In New Jersey clay road
and varies about the same in depth.
The ridge of hard earth that re-
mains between theSe cutters varies in
width from an inch to four or five inches at
the top. Upon this the seed is quite apt to be
dropped occasionally, but II is difficult to see
how II can do much worse there than in the
furrow with its hard bottom and sides. 1t
Is no wonder the native feels compelled to
drench the ground with water from the
bitches, IL for week or so the usual after
noon showers should hold Off Nothing but
plenty Of water could raise crop on land 70
titled, and the wonder is that even that
can do IT. The amount Of produce that Is
raised even by this miserable system Is
amazing. 1t In doubtful IL any part Of the
United States can show heavier yield Of
corn and wheat 10 the acre for series Of
years than Mexico In those portions where
there Is sufficient rain.
The owners and superintendents Of the
great ranches Of Mexico are quito ready to
adopt American machinery, but being gen
orally gentlemen whose severest labor has
been the rolling of cigarettes, neither knows
any more OF its use than the poems to whom
IL is turned over. A threshing machine
may last a week or two IL the poems do not
In the meantime fitch the bolts and other
movable parts, which they are quite likely
to do IL II is not locked up. Against the
American pillow the laborers have no preju-
dice whatever, and seem to make fair
effort TO use IL. The left hand must how
ever, be free for the goad, or the oxen
would stop The peon therefore tries to
manage the plow with one hand. Finding
two handles unnecessary, and one Of them
initiating against his ribs occasionally, he
cuts II off. The pillow, OF course, runs every
way but straight and even in depth, and as
IL does even worse work than the old
wooden one IL IL soon cast aside.
II seems no better with the sulky-plow
At Acambaro saw about thirty American
sulky- plows. all In line upon one ranch, run
ming I'm black adobe, about six weeks after
the rains had ceased. To make q furrow OF
any depth needed at least four stout horses
To each plow was attached q pair of 500
pound cattle, and a fat peon, himself load
for them, reclined luxuriously in the seat
The plows tore the ground up In broad
fakes about two inches thick. Half an inch
more would have anchored the cattle In
their tracks Between each furrow was left
ridge of unbroken ground about six or
eight inches wide An American farmer
who could speak Spanish and be patient and
courteous TO the poems could get good wages
upon some Of these large haciendas just TO
show the poems how 10 work. .-
Most Of the Embarrassing on the plateau Ii
done with similar stupidity. The favor Of
the apples and pears Is excellent and there
L. every reason TO believe that all over the
great plateau, where II Is wet enough,
nearly all the fruits Of the United States
may be raised In the highest perfection.
Yet In most of the gardens there Is no evil
dence Of the ground having been stirred for
many years, the sole dependence being upon
soaking from bitches In most OF them,
too, the trees are entirely too near each
other and so irregularly planted that pow-
ing between them would be impossible, even
IL dreamed Of There Il scarcely any sign
OF the pruning-knife and apple trees look
more li4c big ounce bushes than anything
else. while the pear Is often barely recog
nizable As in farming, they cannot con-
ceive the possibility Of vegetation getting
through the shortest dry spe without water
AT Y A CotIiion Dinner. SEC se
Boston Beacon.l -a-r
No, "Hermoine." cntillon dinner does