320 PLANTS CULTIVATED IN MEXICO. 



CHAPTER XXV. 



Statistical Account of New Spain continued. 



Airriculture of Mexico — Banana, Manioc, and Maize — Cereal 

 Plants— Nutritive Roots and Vegetables — Agave Americana — 

 Colonial Commodities — Cattle and Animal Productions. 

 CHAP. XXV. 



Modifications A COUNTRY extending from the sixteenth to the thirty- 

 of climate, seventh degree of latitude, and presenting a great variety 

 of surface, necessarily affords numerous modifications of 

 climate. Such is the admirable distribution of heat on 

 the globe, that the strata of the atmosphere become 

 colder as we ascend, while tliose of the sea are warmest 

 near the surface. Hence, under the tropics, on the 

 declivities of the cordilleras, and in the depths of the 

 ocean, the plants and marine animals of the polar 

 regions find a temperature suited to their development. 

 It may easily be conceived that, in a mountainous 

 country like Mexico, having so great a diversity of 

 elevation, temperature, and soil, the variety of indi- 

 genous productions must be immense ; and that most of 

 the plants cultivated in other parts of the globe may 

 there find situations adapted to their nature. 

 OVjoctaof There, however, the principal objects of agi'iculture 



ftgriculture are not the productions which European luxury draws 

 from the West India Islands, but tlie grasses, nutritive 

 ^ roots, and the agave. The appearance of the land 



proclaims to the traveller that the natives are nourished 

 by the soil, and that tliey are independent of foreign 

 commerce. Yet agriculture is by no means so flourish- 



