Mexico — The Treasure House 



517 



excel in mining and do well in dealing 

 with live stock. 



In recent years the total commerce of 

 Mexico, comprising imports and exports, 

 has amounted to about 180 millions 

 (gold), and it has had a steady growth 

 to about six times its amount 20 years 

 ago. The exports have an approximate 

 value of 100 millions (gold), or about 

 4 times the amount 20 3'ears ago. The 

 approximate value of exports to the 

 United States is 65 millions (gold). 

 . About 60 per cent of the exports are 

 mineral products. Henequen and other 

 fibers are over 18 per cent (over 18 mil- 

 lion dollars, gold); coffee, 5 per cent; 

 cattle and other live stock, 33^ per cent; 

 hides, 3j^ per cent; wood and dye- 

 woods, i^ per cent; cocoa, i}4 per 

 cent; rubber and tobacco, i per cent 

 each; chicle and vanilla, ly^ per cent. 



AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES 



I have not given any special attention 

 to agricultural conditions in Mexico, but 

 man\^ facts are available which indicate 

 plainly that the products of vegetable 

 growth will eventually be the source of 

 greatest income and prosperity, for they 

 will be everlasting. A large percentage 

 of the population are agriculturists, and 

 while a considerable acreage is culti- 

 vated, it is a small proportion of the area 

 of the Republic. Further expansion of 

 the industry will depend in large meas- 

 ure on colonists and irrigation. Present 

 production is greatest in the lowlands, 

 where there is a constant high tempera- 

 ture and abundant rainfall. In this re- 

 gion grow a great variety of tropical 

 plants which are the source of large 

 income to the Republic. The fiber plants, 

 which flourish in the lowlands, rank 

 highest in value, notably the henecjuen 

 fiber, a variety of hemp, which has been 

 exported from Yucatan to a value of 300 

 million dollars in the last 25 years. It 

 is reported that the exports of this ma- 

 teria! from the port of Progresso in igo6 

 had a declared value of 26 million dollars 

 (Mexican) ; a large part of it comes to 

 the United States. 



Cotton is an important Mexican prod- 



uct, but the amount raised has not been 

 sufficient for home consumption. The 

 yearly crop is valued at nearly 10 mil- 

 lion dollars (Mexican), and about 2 mil- 

 lion dollars' worth additional is imported 

 from the United States. The extent of 

 the industry is indicated by the fact that 

 more capital is invested in cotton mills 

 than in any other single manufacture in 

 the country. The principal production 

 is in Coahuila and Durango, but the 

 plant is raised in other states also. It is 

 certain that the cultivation could be 

 greatly increased, for extensive areas are 

 either suited to cotton at present or .could 

 be made available by irrigation. 



Corn and wheat are important crops in 

 the higher regions, between altitudes of 

 6,000 and 9,000 feet, and while their 

 gross value is over 125 million dollars • 

 they do not fully supply the local de- 

 mand. It is believed that a very large 

 area is suitable for the growth of 

 cereals, especially with the aid of irriga- 

 tion, so that eventually they will be im- 

 portant items of export. 



Coffee production, which at present 

 has a value of about 3 million dollars, is 

 likely to increase very greatly, for manv 

 areas are suited to the growth of the 

 plant and Mexican coffee is rapidly gain- 

 ing favor in the market. The same state- 

 ments may be made regarding tobacco 

 and cocoa. The sugar product is valued 

 at 25 million dollars a year, not counting 

 the rum which is distilled. Undoubt- 

 edly sugar-beets will thrive in portions of 

 Mexico and can be made an important 

 resource. 



Rubber has long been one of the minor 

 products of the lowlands of Mexico, and 

 many new plantations have been started 

 in the past few years. As about 10 years 

 are required for the development of the 

 trees, the new projects have not added 

 greatly to the output. It is stated that 

 about 50 companies have set out 25 mil- 

 lion trees. These are planted about 650 

 to the acre. In the past two years a large 

 amount of rubber has been produced 

 from a shrub known as guayule. The 

 value of this product in 1906 was nearly 

 one million dollars in gold. 



