The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-04-08

at the n upon which there are
annon The houses are OF Mexlcan
style. h flooring OF the patios being
of acknowledged tiles OF different
t,oIorx In the inches Of the wall stand
statues imported from Italy. and the
patio itself Is filled with all the plants
Of the tropics, while q fountain plays
in its center
h rooms are large and they lace
the patio. the windows being barred
with iron. so that they make you think
Of a prison. Some of the quarters are
beautifully furnished. having paintings
and carvings imported from Europe
When Terrazas yer TO the St Louis
exposition. he carried sixty
of his family with him., and he o
a special train for the journey.
The Day OF Small Farms.
1t is believed here that the day OF
moderate sized farms is already at It's
beginning. The agitation as to the
subdivision Of the big estates is in
creasing. and besides there are hume
O u other movements under way TO
give lands to the people. The govern
1nent owns about So. ZOO, OOD acres OF
public lands. scattered throughout
the various states and territories. and
it is retaining millions more from
the concessiOnaries who ave failed to
live up to the terms OF their contracts
as to colonization and development.
| Most of the public lands have beer
taken off the market, with a view to
| r~esurveying them n to the gather
ing Of statistics as to their character
and soil. It is the intention to plate
the farming lands into small tracts,
which will be offered to natives on
longtime payments at a low cost per
acre.
The government is also backing a
development bank with large capital,
and this institution has been authoriz-
ed to issue one hundred million dol
lars worth Of bonds for the improve
mept and progress of agriculture.
Much Of this viii be let out to the
native farmers at reasonable rates and
on long time. Some of 1T will prob
ably be used for the purchase of
lands. and a great deal will go into
irrigation enterprises and into buy
ing tools and live stock.
Money in Farming.
There is no doubt but that there
will be event ually a great deal OF
money made in Mexican farming, and
that. not only through selling to Mex
leo, but in exporting farm products
to the United States and elsewhere.
This should be one Of the best corn
raising countries OF the world. Never
theless, b government report fol
last year shows that some IL 0O, GOO
RN0Oo Wa o(AAk ovA ~ Al ~ hAOAIS
and very large amounts for cote
and other crops which can be raised
here. l am told thai the price OF
t corn. wheat and beans, which are the
staple foods Of the country have be.
come about double those of the United
{ States and that the land If properly
! cultivated, will yield just as much a.
our land per aige. In many places
two crops can be raised in a year
{ but the farming is SO rudely done thai
n total output, as a rule, is much
smaller than ours. ! see plows drawn
r by oxen which look for all the work.
S like those of Palestine and Egypt
r They are the same as those used il
e the days Of the scriptures.
8 see them thrashing wheat by driv
ing horses around a ring to tram
n out h grain. and the corn is shelle<
with the hands or by rubbing tn
e ears over a rough stone A con:uao1
means OF farm transport is by ov
carts with wooden wheels. each O
i which weighs a hundred pounds o
more. and everything is done in tn
3 most e~xtravagane way. Wages ar
e low. Farm hands receive 20, so an,
40 cents a day, and for this the,
Is labor from daylight to dark. A grea
n deal of the work is lone by the piece
Re h wages being paid in money an
= Mexico Our Future Meat Basket.
Is With this subdivision Of the ranch
Le eA Mexico is bound to become tn
breeding ground for our beef suppl
D OF he future. In the mort hern part G
the republic are millions OF acre
adopted to cattle. but on G
ut h long dry season, the fee is nc
e. sufficient throughout h year to IA
ms ten the beasts for the market. TIL
as present plan is to breed the t o.
n here, and then drive them across tn
n boundary for fattening. Mexico Is
r good breeding ground. The losses (
n calves are small n already man
a. y~earlings and t~wO-year-olds are sci
Re. to the United States to be iatte
OF The ordinary Mexican cattle are III
ne dersized, and when full grown Sc
he dom weigh more than 1900 pound
a This standard can be increased /
his crossing the stock with our larg,
tn animals.
NS Th country - >vNal1on< Co. g.