The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-06-01

nearly all of which is used In our
factories"
How much cotton can you raise Dor
acre,"
We have tracts which produce $50
to the acre, and we have other nlanta-
lions which do not yield more than
600 or 200 pounds per acre. our hest
COTTON region Is the Laguna district
t ns -, IN the central states not far
from Torreon. The soil there lie eI.
ceedinsly rich, but It must have trri.
sation There are schemes for dnn,
IN mat vicinity which will increase ths
lrIisated area. Then we are CROWNS =
cotton along the coasts of the STATS
or Guerrero and Oaxaca. and neer'tha
coasts In Vera Cruz and TamauIinas
The climate OF the Pacific Const is csns.
ciaiiy favorable for cotton, and Inc
cultivation will increase there "a. tha
| Transportation facilities are develoned
indeed. the construction of the rail"
roads already projected will greatly
enlarge our cotton belt, and we shall,
soon figure as one of the first class
p,, III the worlds cotton market
! mexican Beef for the United state.
HOW about your stock ranches? viii
you be able to supply tho United state,
with beef in the future?"
DO not see but that we may bs
able to do So" said tho MoS,.
Secretary of Agriculture You neo-
pie are growing so fast that Won vii,
soon be unable to feed yourselves ana
we are so situated geographicnllv that
no o.her country can compete With us
IN supplying your needs. We have
something like 10000. 900 acres OF MS.
ture lands and 100000 or .ooo ooo
head OF cattle grazing upon them. Wa
nave several million sheep. and we ara
now exporting something like 200. o0o
head OF cattle year.
The stock Industry is ono u-hIch 49,.
could greatly increase with additional
capital and better farming. Our cat
tie are not improved animals, and IT /,
a question whether we can maintain
fine breeds OF stock without bettcrfng
our pastures. AS IT is now the beasts
must be hardy to feed on the SPARSE
grasses OF the dry season and 10 travail
the long distances that arc necessary
haciendas are importing shorthorns.
Herefords and other breeds, but we ali
know that we must improve our pas
lures, Increase the number of drink
ms places and build the necessary
sheds and barns before we can radically
Improve our stock"
The Government and the Farmer.
What Is the government doing to
teach the farmer"
1t is just beginning Its work along
agricultural lines" said the minister
The chief trouble we have here is tho
poor machinery. the nonuse of fertil.
izers. and. In addition, the backward
ness OF our farming class. The gov
eminent liz trying to show the farmers
the advantages of machinery and mod
ern farm tools. We have now stations
where such machinery is shown, and
where II is loaned to the farmer As
TO Fertilizers. we are trying to en-
courage the use Of them, and have OBJ
tanned from the railroads low rates
for their transportation. We are also
prohibiting the expectation OF fertil-
izers from Mexico. and we will put
/ heavy export duties on all such goods.
. ''As to the education OF the farm
Ing class. we have a National School
OF Agriculture here in Mexico City,
, which is attended by 500 students. and
> we have established experiment sta
!, tons and demonstration farms In diff
fcrent parts OF the republic.
I'VE have also n stan of travelling in
, structors, who visit the farmers on
! their estates and teach them the better
processes of cultivation. We hope TO
: advance steadily along all such lines.
and the prospect is that we shall great
~ increase our crops and better our
: stock"
> Fnrming in the Tropics.
! I asked the Secretary of Agriculture
{ what Mexico was doing as to the tropi
, cal parts OF the country. Senior Her
nandez replied:
There is steady increase in our
. plantations in the lowlands along the
coasts. This is especially SO of coffee
which has been aided by the high prices
OF recent times. We have many new
banana plantations. the output of which
goes to the United States. but which
will have a market in Europe as we'll
Z Our present production of bananas is
! about 150,o0o,0o0 pounds. The State OF
Tabasco alone annually sends TO your
! country more than million lunches"
And then there Is rubber" con-
!, tnued Senior Hernandez. Heavy sums
have been invested in that industry. and
not always judciously. We have some
2 forests of wild rubber trees which are
: producing abundantly. and also some
\ good plantations. but a number OF com
y panies have been organized in the
United States and In other foreign
countries which seem to have had no
other purpose in mind than to secure
cash stock subscriptions and TO mis-
appropriate them. These have done
q us great injury, and we hope there Will
;. be no more in the future.
e year amounted to about $1,000. 900
pounds, with value of over $40, 600. 900.
: and we sold also guayule rubber TO the
D. amount of about 100000. We sold
q coffee during that time which brought
I in between 100000 and s5.000,000. and
n our exports of vegetable products were
- worth $4,000, 900 In addition to this.
n we are exporting fibre plants which
o Will bring us in this year about s3o.-
a 900, 900 In gold. SO you see that we are
still doing business. Notwithstanding
e the reports concerning our dtsordered
II conditions and turbulent state"
o Copyright, 1918, by Frank G. Car
penter)