The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-02-04

ia confined 70 DrOuuCuDn IOT nOHlN N'hSuuipuonl
and the quantity OF cereals and other crops raised
IL barely sufficient 10 meet the local demand under
the most favorable conditions, the, necessity
ior importing breadstufIs invariably arising
whenever a shortage occurs In the annual ram
f,ll Agriculture IN dependent upon facilities
i"r Irrigating the cultivated lands, and The avail
able area IL consequently limited, allhnuHh II
NIGH, be greatly increased II better facilities Tor
storage and distribution Of the cNlsiing water
supply were i~ntelligently established In the agri-
cultural districts. In so far as tropical, aEti-
culture IN concerned, Mexico has many valuable
resources In the tropical and semi tropical zones,
where AN abundant rainfall is seldom lacking.
Sisal hemp is one Of the most important prod.
ucts Of the country, and was worth in the United
States currency no less than 81 2OO,O 600 in 1897,
s., go, 900 In 1898 and So, $50, 600 for lhe nrst
seven months Of 1899 In view ot the decrease
Is only reasonable 10 suppose that the production
IN Mexico will continue 10 increase on account
Of the facilities for It's growth in the lowlylng
lands Of iucntan and elsewhere IN The Republic
Another established product oi Mexico is coffee
The present average annual output available
for export may b. approximately calculated at
$4,000 tons, but new plantations are constantly
coming into being, and ee,h Succeeding year Of
the next decade should see On increase in the
production,
The question Of the cultivation of the in
dihrubber tree in Mexico has, as yet, hardly
been considered seriously, although some attempts
IN this direction have already been made. The
matter is, however, on" worthy. Of the attention
of people at homr aud abroad in view Of the
increasing demand for the gum. The indhruhbcr
tree grows luSuriantly in the tropical forests OF
Southern Mexico and a certain amount Of gum
Is annually exported, but hitherto in com
paratiyely insignificant quantities The cult
Walton, export and manufacture Of tobacco ARE
also becoming valuable Industries. For stock
raising Mexico offers many and varied natural
Advantages especially IN the temperate regions
ot the higher plateau land on the northern frontier
Many sections Of the semi tropical districts are
also well adapted for ranching PURPOSES, ahd
provide abundant pasture. The drawback Ia
breeding cattle in the torrid zone. however, ~
the worry the animals are subject Ia during the
summer months from the plaques Of mosquitoes,
flies and other forms VI tropical inscc, life.
Notwithsta nding the many directions in which
substa nthl progress has been made under the
rule Of President Diaz during the last twenty years,
Mexico has still a large number Of pressing and
serious economic problems To solve. In the matter
nf education reform is urgently required. and a
complete change VI system is necessary. Vt
present primary instruction is delegated to the
States and Municipalities, these being aided by
grants Of funds from the National Government
OflCial s,ntiS'iCa published in 1898 gave the mum
her Of schools supported by the various States
as 5.s52. and bv the munirraliticS as a2lS. The
number Of ,rarhcrS in hotl classes Of establish
mant WINS stated Ia be- 10 80 and the attendance
Of pupils was returned as il3 100 There were
also ii2 private aud clerical schools with an
ATTENDANCE, OF ~. 800 uupls This u tntal II
unrils under urinary irg,rurtinn n 100 40. ~
about 3 s p.r cent. ofthe estimated total nopulq'inr
Of the Republic. The cost Of education for the
uarinl r,t.rrpd 4, Was min red Al ! lG3 40 ppNos
Nr about 50 800 900 in United STATES currency.
The NpNlcsns are ma thptir rs 10 the lmuOr,g 60
nf thu question Of the adpuuqtr rlu
cational facilities. and although urinary
instruction IS nominally fire.. and com.
nulsory the law on the subject is rarrIr strictly
enforced There il no, nuv effort nj cTnctual
inspar,inn Of sunnryisi,r 81 ITO schools by tIa
notionsl AUTHORITIES nor il any ,,trmn, mod IN
irtrclu,,a imrtoypd ma,ho1s ~ trorLiry in ron
fo,ri,y vi,h tLo a, nsyion,n in ,hi. Lit,,t"p r,,r,d
he niLsr rntinrs md ssrar,oIlv ,L,s, in ,o,,ua
in , con,,rv in such -oxiritv as tba ni,aI States
Another problem Offering no raev solution is the
fr,urn ~ ,hn Inli,n r,ce. in A., len ass tl,n
90 nor rsnt ~ m" nronrl, lion is classified rs ~
white HOOD and rr'hahly tLs actual numh,r is
81 n,urb smaller dir,nng,rs 'rkis mean. nm
mora tbau iOOnO 600 Il Tho rrob.t,nts ,rs Indian
ar win :, LARGO annint ~ I,tuou hlonI i'm ii cir
veins Will, nnminnlIy the Indians equally
,itb ,bo yhi,os Eo"r ,iyb 4. - ,t ,r,.r i'm In rroni, =
no sricb condition nrrvaI, II il npt tnn pIIlrh
IN say lint tLn Nn,iron Ipdior T.. i,y Inns el.n-
iu,oiv no rer, in ma n,t',,I Z, ~ lis .r,rr,rv
in snita ~ tho grc, rur,nr,coi rror,rd.r .,,s
a. Ills race in no Renuhlr Tbnsn Irdi,ne a.
present show iitln rnsortm"n, n his aunn,lnIS