The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1889-10-25
THE MEXICAN FARMER.
He Lives in a PItIabIe State of Misery
and IgnOranCe.


and Ignorance.
A Mexican places no value upon his
time. An American may have to pay
him one dollar day. a rich Mexican
only twenty-five cents. In so far he
has a certain value set upon his time,
but if it comes to a question of a
small amount of money or a great
amount of labor, the latter invariably
is chosen. An Eastern farmer when
planning a work of improvement,
carefully calculates the cost, estimat-
ing the value of his time before decid-
ing' upon the matter. No such thing
is done by the Mexicans. could emu
merate many cases where ten times
more expense has been incurred in
actual labor than would have been
necessary if the project had been care
fully calculated and a small amount of
money used.
Another popularity of the Mexican
+ is his entire want of foresight. 1t
would seem that he never thinks upon
any subject. A thing can or can not
be raised accordingly as it has or has
not been raised in that vicinity before.
In one place it was believed that
potatoes could not be raised.
Some one had once tried to raise
them, and in irrigating had flooded
the ground and rotted the potatoes.
In the same place it was believed that
straw berries could not be grown. The
reason for it was that in irrigating
muddy water was used and the flowers
were covered with a thin mud coating
after irrigation. No fertilization could
take place, hence no berries were
raised Many similar. fOllies are be-
lieved in absolutely without reason.
What their forefathers did they do,
and they are in consequence very
Impoverished race. No thought is
given to the morrow and no Improve
ments are made. Fruit trees and
vines, although very prolific and profit
able, are rarely planted by the ordi-
nary Mexican. Wheat, beans, red
peppers and onions are planted in
quantities barely sufficient to last from
harvest to harvest.
In one part of New Mexico where,
owing to the breaking of the head
works of their irrigating system, there
was no water, and hence no crops for
one season, the store-keeper gave the
Mexicans seed beans for the next year
and took in payment one-half the crop,
without himself doing any work on the
crop. This is good illustration of
the character and condition of the
Mexicans, as well as the rascality of
the store-keeper.
In a short drive recently through
Northern New Mexico on the Rio
Grande / saw several Mexicans plOw-
ing, or rather scratching the ground
with forked stick. The primitive
ness of their agriculture is startling.
The mortar and pestle for grinding
the wheat, the hand sickle for har-
vesting it. the forked stick for plow-
ing the ground-these are the farming
implements of large class of farmers.
One can hardly believe that he is in
the same continent and age with the
progressive Eastern agriculturist.
They live in mud (''adObe') houses,
without a floor, with mud and brush
roof, with their dogs and chickens,
and often with their pigs. Swallows
build their nests in the house, and
every thing betokens a lowness hardly
credible. Vermin of all sorts breed
and thrive in the dirt, and yet these
people are unable TO account for the
prevalence of smallpox and diphtheria
among them. Such a state of misery
and ignorance is practically unknown
in the East. 1t is as shocking as it is
lnexplicabIe. -America Agriculturist.