The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-02-04

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calculable. The gold and silver taken
taken out of her mines since the occu-
patton by CorteZ foot up over four
thousand millions of dollars, and her
mineral wealth is scarcely tapped. The
largest silver mines are at Guanajuato,
Guadalajara, Catorce and Z9catecas.
Petroleum, iron and sulphur are abund-
ant. The full capacity of the country
as to agriculture has not yet been fairly
tested. The average yield of cotton is
seven hundred pounds per acre, being
three times the average in our Southern
States. Coffee of the finest and best
quality is grown, and its cultivation is
rapidly increasing since the advent of
railroads. The cultivation of coffee
was introduced into the West Indies
in IVA, but for some unexplained reason
it took nearly a hundred years longer
to reach Mexico, where its cultivation
began early in the present century.
Tobacco is indigenous, and indeed takes
it's name from Tobacco, in Yucatan. In
the Terra CaLiente three crops of IT.
dian corn annually, on the same ground,
is the rule.
Such in brief resume are the history,
geography, civil status, climatology
and products Of our next-door neighbor
who is so we'll known to us, but who
offers to our friendly enterprise treas
ures beyond computation and to the
traveller and visitor, scenery Of sur
passing beauty and interest. Future
articles will be more in detail and less
general in their nature.
It may be mentioned incidentally
that Cortez, who was rewarded for his
conquest by the title of Marquis of the
Valley (of Oaxaca, in southern Mexico
still has descendants livingin the State
of Oaxaca who bear the of
Monteleone, and the grandson of the
Emperor Iturbide, who was also adopted
by the Emperor Macmillan as his heir,
is IN officer in the army of the republic.
Much as Mexico owes to the genius
and firm government Of Juarez and
afterwards Of Diaz, it is no less indebted
to the rapid extension of the railroad
system which now embraces near eight
thousand miles and reaches nearly
every important point. Railroads are
great educators and by offering mar
kets in other quarters for the overpro-
duction of localities give an incentive
to industry and more profitable employ
meDt than revolutions and prOnunciG
mentOS to the energetic, active minded
element of the population. Besides, the
prompt concentration of troops enables
government to repress insurrection in
it's beginning. The railroads are usually
OF the standard guage and rarely run
nearer any town than a mile or two.
By a curious experiment., tie sharp
est and shrewdest criminals upon con
viction are sentenced to serve upon the
police force, and it is said the plan
works admirably, there being no better
officers than these men when intrusted
with power and responsibility. Upon
the same plan, the leaders of brigands
when captured are offered by the gov
eminent the alternative of taking a
command in the army, devoted to the
suppression of brigandage, and this has
been the most effectual means of clear,
ing the country of that pest.
Mexico has not made the mistake of
contracting her currency, and hence
being untrammelled in her progress
has marched IN by leaps and bounds
in her development during the latter
years, while the United States, owing
to a contrary policy, has been suffering
under a blight of a long enduring de-
sion.- From the February Arena.