El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-09-22

;he northern states from the United
States because of superior facilities for
transportation 10 those localities.
The crops. IL is admitted. will not
reach normal production but viii be
sufficient 10 allow certain amount OF
expectation. The question OF food sup
ply is one Of distribution rather than
production. and il viii be necessary 10
transport TO the more barren states
products from those localities where
normal or nearly normal crops prevail
II is pointed out that while some I'M
douotedly died OF starvation in the cap
ital last year this was due not 10
shortage Of food but TO the impossi-
bility Of adequately Transporting what
was available
Within the last few months. accord
ing TO the department officials. means
OF transportation have increased many
fold. Regular train service has been
resumed not only with the United
states border but between interior
points and railroads which have been
I idle for an extended period have re-
sumed operation
Corn and BeanS Crop Good.
The corn crop The great MeNiCan
food staple, viii ne good in all portions
OF the republic except Zacatecas. uui-
range, chihuahua and san Luis PotosL
In each OF these states disturbed con-
dltions have not only prevented plant
ing. but have left the farmers with an
Inadequate supply OF seed corn. In the
other states the corn crop has been eN-
cellent The agricultural department
also expects 10 add TO the available
supply a large amount OF old corn hith-
erto held for large price advances.
The bean crop. according to depart
mental reports. while not a bumper
one. VIII be sufficient TO permit the eN-
portation of old beans. the embargo on
the foreign sale OF which recently was
removed by q decree Of the first chief
In connection with the bean crop. off
Gals of the department declare that
the shortage of crops in Durango is due
solely 10 the speculative operations OF
PanchO villa in the last two years.
Villa ships Out Bean supply.
When the Constitutionalist move
ment took form in 1913. the rich farm
ers abandoned their ranches and fled
TO Mexico City The poor people who
had worked on these properties. how
ever. proceeded TO raise a tremendous
crop Of beans which were stored
throughout the state villa IL is said.
found this supply and shipped il TO the
United States for sale leaving not even
enough for seed supply. II is esti-
mated he shipped over ! 500 900 bush
els Of beans and officials say the state
never has recovered from the scarcity
which resulted.
The production Of cotton. it is ad-
mitted by the department OF agricuI-
ture. will fail 50 percent below normal
but reports from the Laguna district
as 70 the amount of water now in the
streams which in some seasons are en-
tirely dry, indicates a full crop next
year.
Need Modern Equipment
There is a great need among the
farmers for new parts Of the more sim
pie types Of agricultural machinerv and
The department Of agriculture now is
preparing a plan whereby such supplies
as plOwpOints and other machinery
parts viii be bought in large quanti-
ties by the government and sold at cost
10 the small farmers
Efforts already are being made bv
the government to establish a system
Of farm loans. In Colima a commission
has been appointed 20 dis5ursa 500 600
pesos provided by the government
among the more needy small farmers
Of the states Similar organizations
are being formed in other parts OF the
republic.