El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-01-11

estates have large hospitals and the
employees are taught to take care Of
their health. The Workmen'S houses
are raised upon poles, the vegetation
being cut away and the lands drained
to get rid of the mosquitoes. The Ia
borers are made to keep clean and
they are shown how to treat them
selves for tropical diseases. The
United Fruit company has been fight
ing the hOokwOrm, and it has its doc
tors giving medicines and treating the
numerous natives among its employees
who are so afflicted. Every patient
who comes to the hospital on account
of malaria or other fevers or on &C
count of wounds received is treated
also for hookWOrm- am told that
this is doing great good and that an
increase in the working efficiency of
the men has come from such treat
ment
Farm Methods In Central America.
The Americans are introducing our
farm machinery. They have American
wagons and carts and also American
ploWs and other farm tools. As to
the native methods, everything is rude.
I see the farmers still using the one
handled ploW OF the Scripture. ShOd
with a strip of pointed iron about as
big as your hand This turns the soil
both ways and only scratches the sur
face The most common cart here has
wooden wheels with holes in the cen
ter for the axles. and is drawn by
oxen yoked by their horns. The loads
are pulled by the head instead of the
shoulders and necks, and the treatment
Of the animals seems cruel to an ex-
IRENE.
American axes are gradually coming
into use, but the most of the cutting
of the lighter sort is done with the
macheteY much like a corncutter. Every
native Central American carries a
machete- 1t is a good weapon of de-
fence against man or beast, and it en-
ableS him to make his way through
the jungle 1t cuts his grass for hay
and the green corn for his cattle.
After the cattle are dead. the machc1e
chops them up to make beef and is
also employed in hog killing 1t
serves to cut out the weeds from the
corn patch and with it the native
punches holes in the ground where ne
drops the grains Of corn with his heel
and sitting down, lets nature do the
rest.
Teaehing stock Farming.
The Americans here are teaching the
natives something Of stock farming,
and the day may come when meat
from Central America will reduce our
big butcher bills. In Costa Rica there
are large ranches belonging to the
banana planters where working cat
tie for the plantations are raised. The
United Fruit company has some dairy
cows and its men tell me that the
grass there makes excellent beef. In
deed. there is money to be made IN
raising stock, all the way from Pana-
ma to Mexico These highlands have
fine pastures and the stock brings
good prices In upper Panama they
are now raising beef for Colon and
Panama City and the future meat sup
ply Of the canal may come from there.
Costa Rica has live stock numbering
more than half q million, besides
mules. sheep and goats, and Honduras
has almost a half million head of cat
tie alone. and a large number of mules
pigs and sheep. It has 10000 acres
devoted to pasture.
Here in Guatemala the cattle are
fewer, but the grazing grounds on
the high plateaus are of great extent,
and well fitted for sheep, cattle and
hogs. Nicaragua has more than a
million of cattle and Salvador in pro-
portion to its size has more live stock
than any other Central American re-
public.
Frank G. CARPENTER.