Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-07
IMMIGRATION FLOODS
TURN TOWARD MEXICO
COLONISTS Reject CANADA
FOR REPUBLIC
Reverse of Tide Is Due to American
Capital and Railroads Offering
Inducements of Superior
Merit

At last the flood of immigration has
turned toward Mexico. For the past
five years Canada has claimed thou
sands upon thousands of American col
onists, attracted there by cheap lands
Today Mexico is receiving her share,
and thousands of American and Ger
man colonists are fiocking into that
country.
Until lately little effort had been
made by American business men to buy
up the large tracts of fertile lands IN
Mexico and colonize them with Ameri-
cans. One reason for this was the gen.
eral idea that there was nothing in the
country that would attract the agricul-
turalist. fruit grower or stock raiser.
Another reason was a general impress
sion that the climate of the country is
not healthful.
Today, however, these ideas are
changing and Americans are realizing
that in Mexico can be found more
fertile soil and greater opportunities for
the man of moderate means than ever
existed in Canada. The tropics of Mex
leo are probably claiming more atten-
ton than all other sections of the
country combined. Here is found the
richest and most productive soil on the
American continent, a wide variety OF
profitable crops, and the even climate
throughout the year gives continual
growing season.
Interests. Californians
Many Californians are interested in
this section of the republic, in large
plantations devoted to the growing of
rubber, chocolate, coffee, sugar cane,
tobacco, rice, etc. One concern has an
orange grove of some 200 acres in bear
ing, which produces a fruit said to be
superior in flavor and keeping qualities
to the California fruit. The orange of
tropical Mexico is ready for the market
two months earlier than the California
or Florida crop, and brings top prices
on the high market. Freight rates, be-
cause of shipment by water, are in the
neighborhood of 80 cents hundred
pounds. Cheap labor, cheap land, no
| irrigation and entire absence of frosts
or extreme heat make this an ideal
| orange producing section; one that bids
| fair to rival other sections of North
America in a very few years.
| The stock raiser finds conditions In
the tropics as near ideal as can posi-
bly, be imagined. Green grasses the
year around, no extreme heat and no
cold weather make it possible to keep
the stock on the range, throughout the
year. Those --mericans who have
shipped in the Hereford, Shorthorn and
other high grade. stock for breeding
| have made a great success. The trav-
elr through the tropics will see on some
of these plantations as fine looking cat
tie as can be found anywhere at home.
Hogs, horses and mules do equally well
and bring high prices on the Mexican
market
Excursion to Tehuantepec
| Last week a large party of Califor-
| mans left for the isthmus of Tehuante-
pee, In the heart of the tropics, to look
over the land being colonized by the
Mexican International Land company
of Los Angeles. This company in the
past five months has run five excursions
| to the Tehuantepec country, showing
the land to more than 1000 Americans
and has sold over 100000 acres in small
tracts. These lands are said to be To-
Gated on the Vera Cruz and Isthmus
railroads. giving excellent transporta-
| tion facilities to home and foreign mar
kets. Development is going ahead rap
| idly, and many settlers are making
| their homes in this new country.