The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-06
\ Farm village in the Tropical Lowlandu,

Farm Village I'm the Tropical Lowlandr
royalty on mis-, great hacienda. He can
house 100 guests at a time, and he
keeps up an establishment OF servants
| mt for king. Some time ago he
asked the Archbishop Of the Roman
Catholic Church to dedicate new
house of worship on one OF his ranches.
The holy father came with a great
corps OF guests and Don Luis kept
them for more than three weeks, max
ing UP hunting parties and excursions
of various kinds. During this time
the guests had white horses only, the
old hacicndado having picked out of
his thousands of animals those Of that
color. and had them trained for the
purpose.
Thirty Thousand Hired Men.
Don Lnis's big estate came largely
from a grant which his father obtain
ed for his services in the war Tor Mex
other grants for his own work In
holding the State of Chihuahua against
tile army OF MaNimilian. He has. J
am told, something like 10000 pea
SAINTS working for him, and some of
them are engaged in the present re-
bcllion.
Many of the buildings on the Ter
They arc surrounded by stone walls
twenty feet high, with square towers
at the corners. upon which there are
cannon. The houses are of Mexican
style. the flooring of the patios being
Of diamond shaped tiles of different
colors. 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 a fountain plays
in it's centre
The Day of SpnnII Farms
1t is believed here that the day of
moderate sized farms is already at
Its beginning. The agitation az TO
the subdivision OF the big estates is
increasing, and besides there are num-
erous other movements under way TO
give lands TO the people. The govern
ment owns about 100000 acres OF
public lands, scattered throughout the
various states and territories, and II
is reclaiming millions more from the
concessionaries who have failed to live
up to the terms of their contracts as
to colonization and development.
Most of the public lands have been
taken off the market. with n view to
resurveying them and to the gather
ing of statistics az to their character
and soil. II is the intention TO plat
the farming lands into small tracts,
which will be offered TO natives on
longtime payments at low cost per
acre
The government is also backing a
development bank with large capital,
and this Institution has been author
lied to Issue one hundred million doll
lars worth of bonds for the improve
ment and progress of agriculture.
Much of this will be let out to the
native farmers at reasonable rates
and OH long time. Some of 1t will
probably be used for the purchase or
lands. and a great deal will go into
irrigation enterprises, and into buy
ing tools and live stock.
There is no doubt but that there will
be eventually great deal OF money
made in Mexican farming, and that.
not only through selling to Mexico,
but in exporting farm products to the
United states and elsewhere This
should be one of the best corn-raising
countries of the world. Nevertheless
the government report for last year
shows that some 100000 pesos were
sent abroad for corn alone, and very
large amounts for cotton and other
crops, which can be raised hero. ]
am told that the prices of corn, wheat
and beans. which are the staple foods
Of the country, have become about
double those of the United States, and
that the land, II properly cultivated.
will yield just as much as our land
per acre. In many places two crops
can be raised In a year, but the farm
ing Ia so rudely done that the total
output, as a rule. la much smaller
than ours. see plows drawn by
oxen which look for all the world like