286 Coffee Culture on tbe Soutbern Coast of Cbiapas. 



These considerations, which I touch upon briefly, lead me to believe 

 that far from being attended by any risk, coffee-growing is, and will 

 continue to be for some time to come, one of the most lucrative 

 branches of agriculture to which the Mexican farmer could apply his 

 labor and intelligence. 



III. 



ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF SOCONUSCO FOR 

 COFFEE-GROWING. 



Soconusco offers special advantages for the cultivation of coffee. 

 It also has some disadvantages, which, although they may be regarded 

 as transitory and easily remedied, it will be proper to mention here. 



Each of these points, therefore, will now be considered separately. 



I. THE ADVANTAGES WHICH SOCONUSCO OFFERS FOR THE CULTIVATION 



OF COFFEE. 



Soconusco unites many conditions that render it suitable for the 

 cultivation of coffee. The principal of these are the following: 



A. Advantages of the soil and climate of Soconusco. 



B. Cheapness of labor. 



C. Proximity of good coffee land to the sea. 



D. Facility with which the expenses of growing coffee may be de- 

 frayed by raising other crops at the same time on the same ground. 



Each of these advantages will be considered separately. 



A. Advantages of the Soil and Climate of Soconusco. The soil of 

 Soconusco seems especially adapted for coffee-growing. In speaking 

 further on of the conditions which make a locality suitable for coffee it 

 will be seen that all of them are favorably combined in Soconusco. 

 The character of the soil, the nature of the climate, a moist atmos- 

 phere, abundant rains, numerous streams and waterfalls, shelter from 

 the prevailing winds, and all the other conditions which experience has 

 shown to be favorable to coffee, are united in Soconusco. 



The configuration of the land renders it very favorable to coffee. 

 In an area of about fourteen leagues the required altitude (from one 

 to five thousand feet above the level of the sea), with the correspond- 

 ing temperature, is to be found. In the course of this paper the 

 peculiar advantages which result from the favorable situation of the 

 land will be pointed out. 



Comparing the system of cultivating coffee in Soconusco with that 

 followed in other parts of the Republic where highly esteemed coffee is 

 produced, it will be seen that Soconusco has many advantages over these. 

 While in Colima and Jalisco the coffee tree requires irrigation in order 

 to grow and thrive, here it grows and flourishes without it. The rains, 

 which continue in Soconusco for six months in the year, constitute 



