The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-11-19
INTERESTING LETTER FROM
MEXICO.

Correspondence of the Progressive Farmer.
Mexico is by no means an agricultu-
raj country, aud what i~ts,prospects are
to become one is a question which
others are more competent to say, yet
what 1 seen have ard heard inclines
me to believe that it is a wonderful
land and is capable of great possibili
ties in moro way than one. The corn
crop was very large in Mexico this
year. The valley of Mexico vas one
green field of growing corn. The eli
mate is such that different paintings
a be made to ripen for very many
successive months. One does not need
to go out of the City of Mexico to ap
preciate the fact that there is an abund-
ance OF corn. All along the poorer
streets old women are selling boiled
and roasted ears and the always pres
ent tOrtilLG "a kind of batter cake made
of CORN can be purchased almost any
where. The wheat crop was also large
but the price has bt en- low. Almost ali
the cereals grow here. Barley is raised
at Salazar, which is at an altitude OF
over 10, 900 feet. Some one has told
me that Mexico produces everything
except pumpkins and squash. l can,
not say if that is SO, or If 30 why it is,
but l confess that l never remember TO
have seen them IN market. | had
strawberries at two meals the other
day (n OctobeI) and they can be OBJ
tanned every month with the possible
exception Of January. Peas, beans,
cabbage, caulihOwer, in fact almost
every vegetable can be found on the
restaurant table at almost any time.
| The best lettuce I have ever seen-aHd
l have heard others say the same thing
is to be found here. 1t is a variety
which grows in a cloee head and is
very crisp and nice.
Dairying is a much neglected branch
of agriculture and ought to be a profit
able field for intelligent investment.
Butter sells at Is cents per pound,
Mexican silver. On all Mexican tables
milk IS used hot as a precaution against
germs. To the credit of Mexico be it
said that I do not think much if any
oleomargarine is produced here; and
to the dlscredit of my own land be it
also said that considerable of the stuff
is shipped in from the United States.
One dairyman who has been supplying
a limited trade here With jersey prod
ucts has, l see by the paper, gone to
the States for more COWS Of the same
breed.
notice that the Department of Ag-
riculture has decided to admit Mexican
cattle. Z "a testify that Mexican beef
is good. Some of the toughest beef /
ever ate purported to be ArmoUr's best,
while very ordinary looking restaur-
ants in Mexico will serve you with the
incest steak imaginable. If the import
of Mexican cattle will serve to break
up any combines in the States it will
serve a good purpose.
A great deal is being said and writ
ten just at present about the cultiva.
ton of tropical, or sen i-tropical, prod
ucts. Mexico, beyond any doubt, has
q future as a coffee growing country.
The native coffee is very nice, equal in
flavor to Mocha. The Mexican coffee
zone" comprises a number of States
and Investments in coffee land are be-
ing constantly recorded in the news
papers. Inotice that a successful Cey-
lon coffee grower is about to start in on
a large scale On the Isthmus of Tehaun-
tepec.
That reminds me that I recently
talked with a gentleman who had lust
returnedfrom the Isthmus. He brought
some tine samples of coffee and also q
cocoa bean. The latter, enveIoped in