I,AND QUESTION AND PROPOSAI^S OF THE AGRICUIvTURAL COMMISSION II 5 



The coasting trade is not important. Communication between the 

 ports ou the Gulf is maintained by the " Compania Mexicana de Navigacion" 

 and between the Pacific ports by the Compania Naviera del Pacifico. 



7. Finance and Banking. — -During the fiscal year 1911-12, the public 

 expenditure was 103,602,401 pesos, and the revenue 103,557,000 pesos. 

 In 1911 the reserve in the Treasury was 62,483,119 pesos. 



The interest on the National Debt in 1912-13 was approximately 

 25,804,615 pesos. 



As the special law with regard to credit allows the foundation of banks 

 of issue in each State, capital turns to this form of enterprise. This ac- 

 counts for the existence in 1911 of 24 banks issuing paper money. Also, at 

 the same time there were three mortgage banks and six credit banks, 

 (ref accionarios) . These 33 estabhshments had a total capital of 178,600,000 

 pesos ; 56,972,025 pesos in gold, 33,058,815 pesos in silver etc., and 

 7,052,990 pesos in paper. The reserve amounted to 61,842,047 pesos. 



Amongst the most important of these banks is the Banco Nacional with 

 32,000,000 pesos of capital, the Banco Central Mexicano with a. csLpital oi 

 30,000,000, the Banco de Londres y Mexico with a capital of 21,500,000 and 

 Banco Mexicano de Comercio e Industria with a capital of 10,000,000 pesos. 



§ 2. AgrICUI/TURAL PRODUCTION. 



" Two milhon square kilometres ; every variety of climate from temper- 

 ate to tropical ; a particularly rich and deep soil, a surface which facil- 

 itates the accumulation of water and its dispersion over the land ; fields 

 wonderfully suited for the most varied production from that of cereals to 

 that of sugar cane, cotton, tobacco, vanilla, cacao, india-rubber, and 

 maguey s ; rich pastures ". 



The above is quoted from the brilHant sketch of agricultural Mexico, 

 by M. Bigot in his remarkable book, " Le Mexique Modern " {Modern 

 Mexico) . 



I. — - The three regions of climate and production. — We have seen that 

 the territory of Mexico ?'s divided into three regions according to altitude : the 

 warm, the temperate and the cold. In each of these the vegetation is 

 determined by the temperature and the degree of moisture. 



The warm region is characterised by thick woods of mahogany and 

 other trees used by cabinet makers, and by all crops that require warmth 

 and moisture, such as cotton, sugar-cane, tropical fruits, magueys, and 

 guavas as well as tobacco, rice etc. 



The temperate region has not really characteristic crops, as it forms an 

 intermediate region between the warm and the cold. Here coffee, cacao, 

 vanilla and many other productions of the other two regions are cultivated. 



The cold region, comprising the great central plateau is that of cereals; 

 here also are the great plantations of maguey, from which is extracted 

 pulque, an alcoholic beverage extensively consumed by the people. 



