SOMETHING LIKE A FARM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 178, 18 July 1908, Page 4

SOMETHING LIKE A FARM.

8,000,000 ACRES IX EXTENT AND NEARLY 2,000.0110 ANIMALS. The biggest farm—if "farm" it can be called—is that owned by Don Luis Tcrrazas, in the .State of ' Chihuahua. -Mexico, which measures from north to soucli 150 miles and from east to west 200 miles, or 8,000,000 acres in all. On its and mountains roam "1.000,000 head of cattle, 700,000 sheep, and 100,000 horses. The farmhouse is probably the most magnificent in the world, for it cost £400,000 to build and is more richly "furnished than many a ltoyal palace. On the homestead alone are employed a hundred male servants. The gardens are superbly laid out, the stables more magnificent than those of the Herman Emperor, and there is accommodation for 500 guests if necessary. Scattered over this vast ranch are <> hundred outlying stations, each one of which has charge of a certain portion of the estate. The horsemen, cowpunchers, line-riders, shepherds, ami hunters number 2,000, and the Terraz-js ranch is the only one iu the world which maintains its own slaughtering and packing plant. Each year 150,000 head of cattle are slaughtered, dressed, an I packed, and 100,000 sheep. Don Luis personally superintends the diil'erent industries on his ranch, covering many thousands of miles on horseback during a twelvemonth. Don Luis was at one time Governor of Chihuahua, but public life did not suit him; it was too quiet, and he preferred to spend Ids life riding over the plains aud looking after h'.s own enterprise's. He is three times as rich as any other man in .Mexico, and lias the name of being liberal and gcuorone towards his workpeople. Don Luis is a very handsome man, married to a beautiful wife. He is- the father of twelve children—seven sous and live daughters. The sous are all associated with Don Luis in looking after the ranch, while the daughters—said to be the most beautiful women in Mexico—remain quietly at the homestead. All the children were educated in the United States, are highly accomplished, have travelled through Europe;, and speak several languages.

Don Luis founded his cattle-ranch about fourteen years ago, and four years later he sfiught to import the finest cattle from Scotland and England. Hut there was a considerable difficulty in the way. The import duty on foreign cattle was so heavy that it was impossible to bring over the animals in quantities sullicient for his purpose, so Don Luis appealed to the Mexican Government, pointed out the absurdity of restricting the importation of good slock into the country, and succeeded in getting the import tax repealed. Since that time Terrazas lias increased his stock by the importation -of something like .fyiOO bulls of the best breeds from the famous studs of Europe. Five years ago Tcrvazas installed on his ranch four big reservoirs, costing £IOO.OOO, besides which there are 300 wells scattered over the huge farm,some of them going down to a-depth of 500 ft. These wells, the water from which is raised bv means of windmills, cost another e'loo,ooo. Every kind of grain is grown, and Don Luis is constantly experimenting in the raising of different ••foods" for supplying the wants of his immense herds during the rainless seasons. x\n enemy which has to be sternly fought on this great ranch is fire, an. l , scarcely a summer passes without great tracts of prairie being laid waste, by its destvoviiig advance. Throughout the torrid months there is a man stationed on the " look-out" at every station each hour of the twenty-four, and directly he sees indications which tell him that ;i----fire has started he rings the massive alarm-bell, and in nil incredibly short time men come riding in, ready to fight the danger with their lives if necessary. 'Hie frightened cattle are driven sideways from the line of the oncoming fire, and then the enemy is attacked from the rear. It is no good attempting to stop a prairie lire from the front, for its progress is too rapid and too annihilating. Tleavv chains are dragged along the ground, which help to weaken and dissipate the lire. Across the prairie, long furrows 50ft. apart are quickly made, and these also help to stem the progress of the fire. All night the fight is kept, up, and not until the last spark is quenched are the men ablV to take food and rest. , In these efforts to subdue the Haines Don Luis and his sons are usually to b? keen working like demons and urging their men to greater efforts. Fighting a prairie fire lias all the elements ot danger, and for excitement it has few equals. For this reason Don Luis takesa fierce delight in combating thcflainei and declares that it is one of the fascinations of a piairie. life.