THE WORLD'S BIGGEST FARM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2860, 6 January 1909, Page 40

THE WORLD'S BIGGEST FARM.

The biggest farm — if " farm " it can be culled — is that owned by Don Luis Terrazae. in the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, which measures from north to eonth 150 miles, and from east to west 200 miles — or 8,000.000 acres in all. On its prairies and mountains roam 1.000,000 head of cattle, 700,000 sheep, and 100,000 horses. The " farmhouse '" is piobably the most magnificent in the world, for it cost almost £320.000 to build, and is more richly furnished than many a royal palace. On the homestead alone are employed 100 male servants. The garden? aie superbly laid out. the stables more magnificent than those of the German Emperor, and) there is accommodation for 500 guests if necessary. Scattered over the vast ranch are 100 outlying stations, each one of which ha= charge of a certain portion of the estate. The horsemen, cow-punchers, line-riders, shepherds, and hunters number 2000, and the Terrazas ranch is the only one in the world which maintains its own slaughtering and packing plant. Each year 150,000 bend of cattle and 100,000 * sheep are slaughtered, dressed, and packed. Don Luis personally superintends the different industries on his ranch, covering many thousands of miles on horeeback during a twelvemonth. Don Luis was at one time (Governor of Chihuahua, but public life did not suit him ; it was too quiet, and lie pieferred to fcpend his life nding over the plaint, and looking after his own enterprises. He is three times as rich as any other man in Mexico. Don Luis is a very handsome man, married to a beautiful wife. He i& the father of 12 children — seven sons and five daughters. The sons are all aeeociated with Don Luic in looking after the ranch, while the daughters — said to be the most beautiful women in Mexico — remain quietly at the homestead. Den Luis founded his cattle -anch about 14 yeais ago. andi four years later he nought to import the finest cattle from .Srotland and England. But 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 sufficient for his pin pose, so Don Luio appealed to the Mexican Government, pointing out the absurdity of lestricting importation of good stock into the country, and succeeded | in getting the import tax repealed. ! Five years ago Terrnzus installed on his 1 ranch four big reservoirs, costing £100.000. 1 besides which there arc 300 wells scattered over the hu^e faim, some of them going down to a depth of 500 ft. These , ■uells the water from which is raised' by means of windmills, cost another £100,000. E\ery kind ot grain i 6 grown, and Don LuL>* ie constantly experimenting in the ; raifcing of different "foods"' for 6tipplying . the wants of his immense herds during the , rainless seasons.

I — =— — Rock is the safest and easiest material to cut a tunnel through.