498 



AGRICULTURE OF TUSPAN, IN MEXICO. 



The Department is indebted to the United States consul at Tampico 

 for the following interesting sketch of the natural resources, methods of 

 husbandry, and agricultural cai)abilities of the comparatively unknown 

 country in the neighborhood of the city of Tuspau, in Mexico, which, 

 has been to some exteut settled by emigrants from the United States : 



U^rrED States Consulate, 



Tampico, September 30, 1874. 



The city of Tuspan is in the State of Vera Crnz, about one hundred and twenty-five 

 miles north of the city of Vera Cruz, and about ninety miles south from Tampico. It 

 is located on the north side of the river Tuspan, about nine miles from its mouth, by 

 the river, and about six miles in a direct line. There are about five thousand inhab- 

 itants in the city and some twenty thousand in all the canton or district of Tuspau. 

 Of these, about two hundred aud fifty are of foreign descent, principally from the 

 United States and Spain, It is quite a picturesque city, as it is built at the foot of 

 several hills, which are constantly covered with verdure. There are many beautiful 

 groves of mangoes, interspersed vrith the graceful palm and orange, which, with a lit- 

 tle foreign taste, could be made into beautiful gardens. 



The land surrounding Tuspan, consisting of four hundred thousand acres, belongs 

 to a stock company, and cost almost nothing some twenty years ago, the company 

 having bought it from the original owner, who had his title to it from the viceroys of 

 Spain, ^he price paid for it was about |I.5,000, divided into shares of $25 each. Not- 

 withstanding the great desire of the Mexican government to induce immigration, there 

 is really very little or no encouragement given by the people themselves ; for, what- 

 ever may be the reasons for it, they will not sell an acre of the land. The planters 

 -who have come here, up to this time, bought one share from such person as was willing 

 to sell, which share gives the planter the right to cultivate all the land he can, free of 

 rent. This, at first sight, seems most favorable, but when the planters commenced 

 their work it was with the expectation that in a short time they would get a title to 

 the land and thus feel that they were improving what belonged to them, and not that 

 they held an insecure title under a constitution that could be altered by an ignorant 

 and prejudiced majority, which could at any time put most extortionate charges on 

 their improvements. The probability is that if all these lands thus held by companies 

 and municipalities are not put into the market, the government, either by taxa- 

 tion or purchase, will get possession of them, for nearly, if not all, the land on the 

 Gulf coast is held by one or the other. The planters, therefore, do but little in the way 

 of improvements, only putting up the necessary buildings for their families and their 

 machinery. 



The crop of sugar last season would have been over a million of pounds, but owing 

 to adverse circumstances a large part of the cane was left in the field. There would 

 also have been some twenty-five thousand barrels of molasses. The parties who are 

 working these small plantations have but limited capital, and there are no large com- 

 mission-houses in Tuspan from which planters could get such assistance as was needed 

 at the time of sugar-making. Many of them were obliged, therefore, to lose a part of 

 their cane. As there were no coopers in the place, the planters were obliged to get 

 their barrels and boxes from Galveston, that being the only port in immediate and 

 regular connection with Tuspan. Barrels from Galveston cost the planter over $i4 

 each, and as the lumber comes also from Galveston it makes the sugar cost half a cent 

 per pound for only boxing it. Coopers are now establishing themselves in the place, 

 who will soon have their steam-machinery, and as there is plenty of cypress a barrel 

 can be made here as well and as low as in the United States. There are also plenty of 

 trees suitable for box-lumber, and as there are now two steam saw-mills at work the 

 boxes for sugar will cost very little for the future. There are also three steam sugar- 

 mills, which of course reduces the cost of making the sugar. Another difficulty the 

 planters encounter is that in Galveston, which is our principal market, the same sugar 

 pays a half cent per pound more duty than in New York, The planters also 8ufi:er 

 from the excessive freight to the ports of the United States. It is now supposed that, 

 with the lines of steamships about to be established for New York, New Orleans, and 

 Galveston, besides the sailing-vessels now running from Texas and other southern 

 ports, boxes for sugar aud barrels for molasses at fair prices, increased facilities for 

 inonev to operate with, the sugar-crop will be doubled next season. 



This part of Mexico is certainly one of the most favored by nature. The sugar-cane, 

 once planted, lasts from fifteen to twenty years, and this with the very little care that 

 is given to it bv the Mexicans generally, and it is supposed that the same planting 



