El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-04-16
VII MEXICO
in It's
Centennial
Year. I"

After tearing out the tobacco roots, an
other crop of corn can be planted, in
January which will ripen and be ready
for governing before the commencement
of the ensuing rainy season. The dry
weather crop of corn will WELD about
quarter as much as the wet weather
crop. If it is preferred, rice, cotton or
sweet potatoes may be grown
UItra-Optfmistic Literature.
Rubber, cocoa, pineapple, cocoanut
and coffee cultivation, and the huge
profits which they promise, are usually
the lures upon which the writer's and
distributors of ra-optimistic litera-
ture relative TO agriculture in Mexico
lay most stress in their appeals to
farmers who have failed in their enter
prise here, sunk their money and re-
treated beaten. have lost out because
they have tried TO found their fortunes
upon the cultivation of these products,
without possessing sufficient knOwl-
edge of the game or capital to afford
then one chance in a hundred of win
ming.
There is money, big money, in any of
these products, but the small farmer,
with limited capital and no experience,
would do well to let them alone entire
ly. or put off experimenting with them
until he knows what he is doing. Eight
years are required for rubber trees to
come into bearing. Cocoa requires four
years cocoanuts from six to seven years,
coffee three years and cocoanuts four
years.
Development Retarded.
Agricultural development in all parts
of Mexico has been long retarded by
the fact that vast tracts of land were
held by individuals who let most of it
>Iie fallow and who have been reluctant
-. -
Uncultivated Land is taxed only NOM
inaMy which accounts in great measure
for the tendency of the big land own
ers not to crop it.
But within the past few years many
millions of acres have been purchased
by American development companies,
which have cut the land up into 40, so.
or $50 acre tracts. and sold it AT low
rates to farmers from the states. The
tendency is 10 form colonies of farmers
on these subdivided tracts and to induce
them to settle in proximity to each
other BY this means a community of
interest is formed, with resultant social,
educational and business advantages.
Mexico Is Friendly.
The Mexican government is extremely
friendly in its attitude toward American
agricultural or colonization enterprises.
Under the Diaz administration condi-
lions of law and order have been so
firmly and universally established that
life and property rights are as secure
in any part Of Mexico as they are in the
United States. Crimes of violence
against the families of American col
onists are almost unknown, even in the
most isolated sections
The Mexican laws are not burden
some. nor complicated, and present no
irksome provisions TO discomfort the
alien, providing he conducts himself
with the same circumspection as would
govern his conduct in any community
at home In the next decade Mexico
will advance with even more prodigious
strides than she has in the past
Agriculture and agrculturaIist will
progress and prosper in proportion. 1
know of no more attractive investment
for man with few hundred dollars,
regardless of whether he expects imme-
diately or ultimately to engage in farm
ing in Mexico, than that offered by the
current cheap price of arabic land in
this country. Land values must rise
with the fulfilment of Mexico's economic
destiny which, it may reasonably be
presumed, Will cause her to turn TO the
soil as the source of the most abundant
supply of her present and future wealth.
Misleading Impressions.
a misleading impression has wide
spread credence that the mineral re-
est asset How widely this DIVORCES
from the truth is indicated by the fact
that while last year she produced gold
and silver to the value of S122125. 900
her agricultural production, Including
stock raising, timber, fruits and vege-
tables was more than 100000, 600. And
in manner of speaking, they have just
begun to scratch the surface of the
land with the plow
Irrigation Projects
Through the accomplishment of vast
irrigation projects. either going or
planned, millions of acres of land I'm the
northern Mexican states will be
brought TO production, with results
which promise to equal those which fol-
lowed the irrigation of arid territory
in Idaho. Utah, Colorado, California and
others of the western states of the
union.
A s2O,OOO,O 900 dam is being built to
impOund the water of the NazaS river
and divert it upon extensive tracts in
the state of Durango. The government
has given 4 subsidy of Sc 900 900 gold
for the irrigation of 100000 acres bor-
dering the Rio Grande and the San Juan
rivers in northern Tamaulipas This
land is not more than SO miles from the
American border. Settlers will be per-
mitted TO pay for the land from the
profits. The price will range at about
$50 gold an acre
COIOIizing Haciendas.
One owner of big haciendas in the
state of Coahuila, J. Iaubert has Of
fered the government to throw open land
to coIonists upon very liberal terms.
He has agreed TO furnish cOlonists from
the United States or from Europe with
farms, tools, implements and water, and.
If necessary, loan them money and re-
ceive his pay from shares of the prof
its. The only condition imposed bv
Mr.. Jaubert is that the colonists must
be experienced and practical agriculture
lists or at least acquainted with the
methods of cultivating vines and fruit
trees. and that they are men of good
character.
MOrmons Successful
Mormons are among the most success
full and prosperous of the American
farmers in Mexico. They have formed
thriving and progressive colonies ar
several places in northwestern Chihua-
hua and in Sonora The government
has lust given 10000 acres CT land alone
the Rio Grande in Coahuila TO 200 Nor.
mon families. upon which to found =
town and a colony. At Colonia Juarez
in chihuahua, the Mormons have as
tabIiShed a model town, with an ~;