The times., 1898-07-03

full we'll what the wornout lands were.
often seen in the old plantation days.
But never 50 melancholy specimens were
here seen. nor can now anywhere else
in Europe be seen. as you very often
must look on in Spain.
Districts which were very gardens I'm
days OF the busy Saracen, and which
were abundantly fertile for many after
centuries, are today practical wastes,
yielding here and there a scant hRrbage
for a few weeks in spring to the lean
sheep that range over the almost bare
earth North OF Madrid. around CordO-
va 10 the east of Seville and about Gran
ada, Here's and Cadiz. exhaustion and
barrenness meet the eye on all sides
IT is not change of climate. 1t is not
that the soil will not bear if cared for.
Neglect. thrif;lessness. abuse OF the soil
ignorance Of the most elementary farm
ing. pride, lf-cpnceit and competition
explain the present condition of things.
Lethargy and procrasunation everywhere
reveal themselves. Never do today what
may be put off till tomorrow IS a fixed
article OF faith. tManana. Senor.'' To-
morrow is Gods dayi Ignorance of any
improved methods of caring for and cui-
tivating the soil rules. The farming and
the implements are of the olden days.
The pride that counts the farmers hon
orable toll a disgrace holds in bondage
the small proprieters.. The idea of hus-
banding the resources of the land rarely
shows itself in either Iand-renter or gar
dener. Get out all possible, and give
nothing back. Then great depression,
and in some cases hopelessness have
arisen from the growing competition OF
our own farmers and fruit ranchers.
American grain and pork. fruits. and
even wines. have made a serious inroad
on the markets open 10 the Spanish hus-
bandman and fruit growers. Prices have
fallen. Orchards. olive yards, vineyards
with orange groves and lemon gardens
are now seen frequently abandoned or
half-neglected Irrigation. which would
make this sunny land bring forth by
handfuls. is not only not pushed and in
creased. but the old channels and water
ways are uncared for.
If to all this neglect you add the wan
ton destruction of forests and woods, ii
is not very hard to realize that what the
Industrious Moor made a garden and
what long was d very granary TO Europe
is today a decaying and wasted land.
The King lives by the field" This wide
spread and growing agricultural decay
and this progressive exhaustion of the
land work mischief all round. The small
trades, industries and manufactures that
are linked with and live by successful and
profitable farming and fruit growing are
either dead or dying. Large numbers of
persons are without their natural en-
ployment in the fields Food is scant and
of inferior quality. Money, even in the
form of small silver, is scarce. Hence
arise the circumstances when fools betake
themselves to silly ways of gain. such as
gambling and lotteries, and desperate
men to robbery and brigandage.
According to competent authorities, a
large proportion of the old estates are
very heavily, if not hopelessly, encum-
bered. The land owners are to a great
extent held in the bitter bonds of desper-
ate debts. A condition OF things obtains
strikingly similar to that found half
century ago in Ireland, and which called
for the drastic measure but the wise
legislation of The Encountered Estates
Act" In Spain for years a wretched sys
tenn has prevailed of borrowing money on
the growing crops and the timber tit
TO be felled. Very often the crop was de-
ficient or failed altogether. new bill,
or a larger debt, or new mortgage re-
suited. The bankers are frequently the
money lenders, and foreigners hold the
mortgages and the bonds.
Because of this overburdened condition,
the land owners have been able to do bat
very little to develop the resources Of
the country These are both many and
great. If half utilized the work male
necessary would give abundant and lu-
crative employment to the peasants, and
would yield a steady and large revenue
to the owners. But the mines and quar-
ries are either unwrousht or are IN the
hands of strangers. One direct result of
this really bankrupt condition OF many of
the landed gentry is the crowdi.ig of the
younger sons into the army. the navy
and colonial offices. The military, the
naval, the official life is adopted of neces-
sity, and not seldom with one clear OBJ
ject. That purpose is to secure some
post in colony, where, by wellknown
and commonly practiced methods. \ for
tune can be laid up for speedy return
home in after years. Here we see the
outstretch Of the iron hand that has kill
ed and is killing the geese that have laid
for Spain the golden eggs.
An ex-minster OF Spain stated In Mad
rid that ''the amount ef money misappra-
priated by the officers of the army must
amount to millions of ipesetas month"
And story is told Of a poor captain re-
mittfng from Havana TO his wife home
about Sc, 900 in ne'half year.
Ignorance. misgovernment, extreme