AGRICULTURAL POSSIBILITIES IN MEXICO 



1029 



the natives themselves, but on the large 

 haciendas, owned by the descendants of 

 the Spanish invaders, modern machiner_y 

 is in use. Many foreign companies and 

 capitalists have invested in sugar-cane 

 properties, but it may generally be said 

 that the sugar industry is not nearly in 

 the high grade of development which 

 characterizes the sugar plantations of, for 

 instance, Hawaii. 



Very little attention has been given to 

 improvements of the varieties of cane 

 grown, and it is not unusual to find large 

 plantations of native cane low and thin 

 and containing only a low percentage of 

 sugar. The same land, if cultivated 

 properly and planted with better varieties 

 of cane, is capable of producing twice the 

 amount of cane and nearly three times as 

 much sugar. 



In the milling methods many better- 

 ments could be effected. Very few Mex- 

 ican sugar mills employ a chemist, and 

 w4th the rule of the thumb system em- 

 ployed much is lost in the manufacturing 

 process. 



Certain parts of tropical ?^Iexico have 

 excellent soil for sugar culture. If 

 proper modern methods of cultivation 

 were adopted, fertilizers used, and an in- 

 telligent system of irrigation practiced, 

 Mexico could double its sugar production 

 from the area now under cane. 



The total production of sugar in Mex- 

 ico is only little more than the consump- 

 tion within the country. The communi- 

 cations are good from Mexican ports, 

 and the country could well enter into 

 competition with other cane countries in 

 the world's market. To do so it needs 

 men with knowledge and capital to invest 

 in sugar culture. 



OPPORTUNITIES IN SPICE-GROWING 



Cultivation of spices has been neg- 

 lected in Mexico. Among the few that 

 are grown are pimento and ginger, but 

 neither is of any importance in the pro- 

 duction of the country. Chillies, how- 

 ever, are grown in quantities, but mainly 

 consumed within the country, being the 

 principle spice used by the Mexicans of 

 all classes. 



Jamaica is the only country whence 

 pimento or allspice is exported at present. 

 As it grows on even a very poor soil 

 along the seaboard slopes, there is no 

 reason why its cultivation in moderate 

 quantities, allowing some export, would 

 not be successful in Mexico. 



The ginger plant has been distributed 

 to all tropical countries, and is found in 

 many parts of tropical Mexico growing 

 without attention or care. There are 

 many tracts of Mexico where ginger 

 could be grown at a profit. 



The nutmeg tree, which furnishes the 

 nutmeg and mace of commerce, has been 

 tried with success in Mexico, but its cul- 

 ture on a commercial scale has not been 

 undertaken in this country. The locali- 

 ties suitable for this industry are, more- 

 over, very limited. 



The clove tree has been cultivated for 

 many years in the West Indies, and it 

 grows well in parts of tropical Mexico. 



Cinnamon is extensively used in IMex- 

 ico, as in all Latin countries, but its culti- 

 vation has not been undertaken in this 

 country. The Ceylon cinnamon tree has 

 been grown experimentally and succeeds 

 well. In certain coffee districts in south- 

 ern Mexico cinnamon-growing would 

 doubtless be profitable, at least to the ex- 

 tent of furnishing the home market. Be- 

 sides its use as a spice, cinnamon pro- 

 duces the cinnamon oil of commerce, for 

 which there is always a limited market. 



Cardamons would also be suitable on a 

 small scale, and pepper culture would 

 offer sufficient inducement to a few 

 growers. 



A VARIETY 01^ TROPICAL ERUTTS 



Mexico produces most of the fruits oc- 

 curring in the tropics. The quantity 

 grown is so insufficient, however, that 

 very little is exported, and even within 

 the country it is very difficult to get 

 tropical fruits in the town markets. What 

 is sold is very inferior in quality, show- 

 ing that no care has been bestowed on 

 the raising of the fruit. 



Bananas are grown all over tropical 

 Mexico, but systematic cultivation for ex- 

 port purposes has only been begun within 



