Conclusion. 359 



IN SOCONUSCO. IN CEYLON. 



Holing the ground, one cuerda 12 6yf 



Transplanting one cuerda $ 5 2 $ 49 



Weedings, per year i oo 54 



Gathering the crop and preparing it for market per cwt.. . 2 25 4 " 



Medicine and medical attendance for three years 250 oo 



Freight 150 oo 805 oo- 



Implements and machinery, two years 950 oo 400 oo 



General contingencies 35 875 OO 



Drainage, per cuerda, two years 6100 



Mr. Sabonadiere estimates the yield of 200 acres of land at 800 cwt. y 

 or 88,270 Mexican Ibs., which gives a yield of 441.35 Ibs. per acre, or 

 about 48 Ibs. per cuerda, or .358 of a pound, which is 5 T \ oz. per tree, 



The yield of a coffee plantation in Soconusco is 1,917} Ibs. per 

 acre, 208 Ibs. per cuerda, and 2 Ibs. per tree, as has been already stated. 

 Notwithstanding that there are in Soconusco a smaller number of 

 trees in each cuerda, the yield is more than four times greater per 

 cuerda, for while each tree yields in Soconusco 2 Ibs. of coffee in the 

 year, in Ceylon it yields only 5 T \ oz. 



But notwithstanding the greater expense of coffee cultivation in 

 Ceylon, as compared with Soconusco, it is still a profitable industry 

 there, for the estimate made by Mr. Sabonadiere shows that a planta- 

 tion of 300 acres of land, of which 200 are planted with coffee, and 

 the total cost of which has been $34,728.75, will at the end of seven 

 years have paid off this sum by its produce, the estate being left free 

 and representing a capital of from $60,000 to $70,000. 



VII. 

 CONCLUSION. 



I have endeavored to carry out, to the best of my ability, the object 

 I had in view, in writing this work, that is, to facilitate and extend 

 coffee cultivation in Mexico. 



The facts which I have set down will, I believe, show that there are 

 few enterprises that could be undertaken in our country with so much, 

 profit as the cultivation of coffee. 



The coffee crop of Soconusco, last year (1873), did not reach, it is 

 estimated, 1,500 quintals. The greater number of the plantations 

 already formed, are situated in the low lands, which, as I have already 

 said, are the least suitable for this crop. There seems to be a growing 

 disposition, however, to plant coffee, and new plantations are being 

 formed in the high lands. Persons have even come from other parts 

 to plant coffee in Soconusco. Its production will consequently in- 

 crease considerably within a very short time. 



I have no data on which to base an estimate of the quantity of 



