The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-12

10 MY experience ma
clearly demonstrated that the rearing
of geese should be done entirely sepa
rate from the rearing of fowls. as tn
old and young Of both are natural.
SO after the young are about hal
grown.
: We favor Matching by hens, remark,
. the Fancier's Review, giving four egg
to each, and after one month the at
!, tention of biddy is no longer necessary
Late in the season if females arr
plenty we allow the goose to hatch hel
young, and we give each a clutch o.
ten eggs. This number is sufficient fol
safety. If too large number is placed
under the goose some are liable to be
broken. Geese are easily and profitably
raised in the south. They are experts
in Kidding cotton field of grass.
An Extraordinary Irrigation Enter
prise.
The official records of the Mexican
government show that there are but
$4,000 land owners in Mexico in a popu-
lation of 100000 souls. Large areas
of territory are held by tribes of In
dams, and there is much land far re-
moved from civilization as yet unsur-
veyed, the title to which still rests with
the government. The vast tracts of
land held in individual ownership were
nearly all of them originally grants
cestors of the present occupants. These
vast ranches have been enormously
valuable, not for the improvements
! thereon, but for their native or easily
cultivated products. AS the main
! hacienda, or home ranch, grew too
small for the needs of business. it
simply spread over more territory
6Oh 1Nrri1C ir1c Cd 6o6 To o0
group already built, more workmen
were housed in them, and the needs
were satisfied. During the past few
years conditions have changed with
remarkable rapidty. The incoming of
Americans with ideas and with money
to carry them into effect, has per-
formed a miracle-has stimulated the
child of sunny Mexico to action. When
the rural Mexican or Spaniard, accus-
tened to the feudal manor style of
doing bushes, discovers that imitation
is profitable and even necessary for
him to hold his estate, its income, and
its laborers. he is not content to
make innovations gradually and in
moderation. If he is to become modern
lied he wants to do it on a scale be-
fitting the ideas of self-importance,
landlordism and personal power, that
were a goodly portion tof his inherit
ance.
A strikink example of this desire to
do business on heroic lines is found in
the Improvement of the great Tlahua-
lilo ranch in the state of Durango, by
a close corporation Of a half-dozen
Mexican millionaries. 1t was not over
four years ago that these men deter
mined to occupy their Spare time with
the immensely profitable business of
raising cotton and corn for the highly
protected Mexican markets. Don Juan
Llamada, a prominent director in the
great bank of Mexico, the 'Banco de
Londres V Mexico was chosen pres
ident of the company and Don Jose
Farjas, Spanish civil engineer of note
with seven years residence in Mexico.
was selected as general manager of the
enterprise.
The first move was the purchase of
over 1000 900 aces of land in the north
east corner of the state of Durango,
Mexico, a section of country known as
the Laguma district. This land, not
over fifty years ago, was the bed of a /
large and shallow lake called by the !
Indians, Tlahualilo, hence the name of
the ranch. On some quite recently pub /
liShed maps this lake still exists, but in |
fact naught is now left of it but its /
name, as the water was drained away |
by gradual change in the bed of the |
Nazas river.
. AS lTlSdllOn IS IleCtSSdTV lot the
sure production of crops in this part of
the republic, the next thing to be done
was to bring the waters of the Nazas
river to the land. It was here that the
knowledge possessed by
Senior Farjas came into play, and he
originated and carried into successful
operation one of the greatest systems
Of irrigation now existing on this con-
tinent. Work on the ditch" was COM
in fall of 1902
later water flowed throughout
its entire length.
The tremendous labor involved in
this enterprise can be realized when it
is known that there are 900 miles of
main ditch and laterals fed from the
1ne headgate on the bank of the Nazas
river The main ditch is 125 feet wide
IN the bottom, and during irrigation
season flows ten feet deep with water
L navigable river in itself. Into this
leadgate can be turned, if necessary,
he entire fiow--of the Nazas river, two
birds Of which is owned by the COM
)any through concession from the
Mexican government. federal and state.
During the seven months of con-
,tructipn, 1000 men were employed:
light steam ditching machines were
constantly at work; 600 mules pulled
1000 scraperS in and out of this arti-
icial waterway, and it's cost was about
2, 000,0 0o The first season the company
cultivated 80 square miles of corn and
otton, and the crop last year was
from 100 square miles of I
land. The ranch is irrigated
" the old Spanish flooding system )
\ dixie between two and three feet high
5 built around each section, and this ,
normous temporary tank is then filled ]
With water. II gradually soaks into {
he ground. and one watering each
ear is generally sufficient. The corn
and averages about sixty bushels tc :
he acre. and the cotton fields produce ,
bout a bale of the fleecy staple to the /
anne measure. Corn produces two s
rops a year, full crop and a nubbin !
rop. Cotton plants are only renewed '
nee in four years, as the fiber does ;
ot get too coarse before that time.
Three thousand people now find their g
ONES on the Tlahualilo ranch. The /
sttlement is divided into six villages $
located. each with its al I
aide, or mayor. and set of municipal !
Ulcers The main hacienda is called s
ne '.ZaragoZa," and here is located the Y
of the superintendent and the h
lain offices of the company A tele- \
hone line connects all the other haci- 1
ndas with ZaragoZa, and the affairs =
T the ranch are carried on with the {
scipline Of an army. Cotton oil and v