Woodville Republican., 1889-11-02
rnE MExIoAN EARMER.
He Lives IN Pitiahte State % nGisar1
and IgnorAneA.


and Ignorance.
A Mexican places no value upon hi
time. An American may have to pa,
him one dollar day, rich Mexical
only twenty-five cents. In so far h,
has a certain value set upon his time
but if it comes to a question Of
small amount of money or q grea
amount of labor, the latter invariably
is chosen. An Eastern farmer wheI
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. Icould emu
merate many cases where ten timel
more expense has been incurred IN
actual labor than would have been
necessary If the project had been care
fully caloHiated and a small amount ol
money used.
Another popularity Of the Mexican
Is his entire want OF foresight il
would seem that he never thinks upon
any subject. A thing can or can not
be raised accordingly as 1t 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 aud rotted the potatoes.
In the same place 1t was believed that
strawberries could not be grown. The
reason for it was that in irrigating
muddy water was used and the flowers
were covered with 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, tho 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 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-
vcsting it. the forked stick for plow-
Ing the ground-these are the farming
implements ofa large class of farmers.
One can hardly believe that he is in
5he same continent and age with the
Eastern agrlculturist.
They live in mud ("adobe'') houses,
without floor, with mud and brush
'oof, with their dogs and chickens,
md often with their pigs. Swallows
'uild their nests in the house, and
very thing betokens a lowness hardly
Vermin of all sorts breed
md thrive in the dirt. and yet these
'eople are unable to account for the
of smallpox and diphtheria
Imong them. Such a state of misery
md ignorance is practically unknown
n the East. 1t is as shocking as it Is
nexplicable. American Agriculturist