63 
From Jalapa to La Cima, a distance of nearly forty miles, the 
train climbs to an elevation of over 9,000 feet, passing some of the 
finest scenery on the eastern slope. Beyond Banderrilla, six 
miles from Jalapa, the first pine-trees were observed. This is the 
long-leaved, Montezuma pine, very abundant at high elevations 
in Mexico and an exceedingly important timber tree. An arbor- 
escent species of Yucca, probably Y. pericu/osa, is used for hedges 
here and at San Miguel. One sees railway ties piled up at the sta- 
tions awaiting shipment. Alders and birches appear in the thickets 
and oaks increase in size and number; while the few peach-trees 
noticed are just coming into flower. The stations are far apart 
eyond Cruz Verde the road enters an immense field of lava, 
spaces filled with a tangle of shrubs and pines. A few fields and 
coppices of hardwoods appear as oases in this area of desolation ; 
in these, a tall red-flowered thistle is conspicuous, and the first 
specimens of the maguey, or century-plant, are observed, planted 
in hedge-rows. 
At Las Vigas, the maguey becomes more abundant, and the 
broad plateau beyond shows extensive and splendid forests of 
pine in pure stand without undergrowth, which doubtless support 
a considerable fungous flora during the summer season, when it 
is warm and moist. From La Cima the great mesa stretches 
away to Puebla and beyond, broken only by dry hills covered 
with cacti, which are very abundant in the vicinity of Limon. 
Tepeyahualco is surrounded by maguey plantations, cornfields, 
and cattle ranches. n these ranches, some of the most dan- 
gerous bulls of the Mexican ring are bred. 
The great tableland of Mexico is over five hundred miles wide 
and fifteen hundred miles long, divided into several mesas of dif- 
ferent altitudes by mountains of great height. The two ap- 
