The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-02-11

psSt0EC8Q0S. Inc 10OI2OA wore 01&n |
hats Of straw and blankets or serapes
OF all celors Of the rainbow. and the
ome had dark blue cotton shawis
over their heads. q draped that only
the upper half OF the face showed
Not a few had bright red skirts and
bright waists and some were bare
looted, showing a little more OF the
low.
The World Of Mexico.
This is one Of the human phases OF |
this world Of Mexico, a world which !
was born when the S~paniards began
TO marry h Aztecs in the days Of
the Aontezumas. Physically there !.
Is no fatrer world in this universe
OF matter. and in natural |
there is none richer. Let me give you
some idea az It's extent. There are
only four other republics on this
hemisphere which have as much land.
AIexico Is equal to the whole United
States east OF the Mississippi river.
and its coast line On the Atlantic and
the Pacific is SO great that il it could
De Joined 1t would extend from San
francisco to London and leave some
to spare. 1t would more than reach
from Los Angeles to Manila in the
Island The country Is
about AS long as from New York to
Salt Lake City. and its breadth at the
top is AS great as the distance between
Philadelphia and Indianapolis. The
land Is shaped like q great horn. the
roots of which are fastened to the
United States, and the tip OF which
Is Yucatan. 1t slopes from both sides
70 the top. and there are ridges with
great mountains upholding a vast
rolling tableland, the most OF which
is a mile above the sea The noun
tains comprise some of the highest
1 or tho RnaEv Yn0r1ntip yCfn
Mount Orizaba being rel Is, 000 feet
high and P~opocatepetl only a few
, hundred feet lower. Mexico has VOL
canoes as high as Pixies Peak, the
: names Of which we hardly know, and
{ 1t has more than fifteen which range
miles in altitude.
e Crops All the Year Round.
! This land Is one of many climates,
and OF almost every crop desired by
e man. In h low coast lands are al
the fruits Of the tropics. and Ameri-
can companies are now setting ou'
. banana plantations not far from thu
r Mexican gulf. A little higher up cot.
e Ffee grows, and in other sections rub
2 Der can be profitably raised.
d Here on the plateau the climate Il
IL al Ohio June all the year round
y The air is pure as the winter wind
which sweep over Egypt from tn
e Libyan desert, and Greece can furnish
no more beautiful skies.
e Where I am now writing is oEf
about 1900 feet above sea level, bu
.. In the past I have travelled oter tn
whole of this Mexican plateau. and
&c doubt whether there is a more health
,r full country anywhere upon eartf
~ The air is SO rare that one can Sc
ot many miles farther than in the east
Re ern parts of the United States. an
i it Is 50 filled with ozone that yo
Re seem to be breathing champagne. Th
lg skies seem closer to the earth than q
es home. the moon shines with a create
es remind me Of the luminous HEAVIER
which hang low at night over tn
40 Amazon or the Gulf of Siam.
We This high plateau grows all tt
rs crops of the temperate zone. It h.
al irrigated regions which produce lare
quantities of cotton. a which ":
used by the Aztecs when COrtez fir
p came. It yields Indian corn, whie
is the staple DOC Of the people. ar
~ it is claimed that Mexico is the orig
CIV nal home Of this plant. I have see
soil which produces~two crops
o. wheat III one year, and where II
ed grain is pulled root and all from Il
ID ground. There is no manure; and Il
a sun, the air and the ground furni:
all the plant food. AS to fruits. '
have. all those Of the tropics and ter
of perate zones and that every mont
he I have had strawberries in Mexico
II Christmas, and even now they a
vel brought to the trains by DeddIers a
OF Scl0 at a lew cents d pdshe'. oue
cane is grown farther south, and I
bacco is a ~favorite crop with the 4
'no tiveS- Altogether the soil and me
products which Mexico is now pl
ducing annually amount to somethi
OK like 100000 eco. This is more tn
IN comes from the mines. I I'M te
that the live stock industry is gro
IN ing, and that Mexico is about G
me on1r hove for cheaD meats i'm ths
days Of high prices.
The Mines Of Mexico.
In- Every one knows Of the Mexic
leir mines. They nave been proouc1
des millions ever since Cortez roooed !
treasures Of the Montezumas, and II