HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



181 



they fupplied the Antilles, and the fleet of fhips which 

 formerly came to Havanna, under the name of Armata 

 de Barlovento. In Europe there is but one feed-time, 

 and one harveft. In New Spain there are feveral. " In 

 f* thofe lands," fays the European author Torquemada, 

 who was there many years, and travelled through the 

 whole kingdom, " where they cultivate wheat, in eve- 

 " ry feafon of the year may be feen one crop reaping, 

 " another ripening, another ftill green, and another 

 " fowing," which plainly demonflrates the wonderful 

 fertility of the foil. The fame author makes mention of 

 feveral lands which yielded feventy, eighty, or an hun- 

 dred for one ; and as great a multiplication of wheat 

 has been* feen in fome fields of thofe countries by us 

 (/); which, fpeaking in general, is certainly greater 

 than that of Europe, and with lefs cultivation, as is well 

 known to European fuperintendants of agriculture who 

 have been in that part of America. What we fay of 

 wheat we can alfo fay of barley, although this is not 

 fown but in proportion to the confumption there is made 

 of it, in the fupport of horfes, mules, and hogs. We 

 might fay ftill more of maize, which is the grain peculi- 

 arly native to America. 



Mr. de Paw pretends that all the plants of Europe 

 have degenerated in America, except aquatic and juicy 

 plants ; and to prove this abfurd notion, he fays that 

 peaches and apricots have borne fruit in the ifland of 



Juan 



(/ ) We have been in a country of A merica, where the land yielded com- 

 monly fifty for one, and fometimes an hundred for one. In Cinaloa, although 

 it is a cold country, the land, we have been credibly informed, yields two hun- 

 dred for one. Our learned friend, the Abbe Molina in his Hiftory of Chili, 

 fays, that the land of that kingdom ufually yields an hundred and fifty for one. 

 The plenty of grain is fo great, that it is fold at five paoli the fanega, and evefy 

 year about thirty veffels loaded with it come to Peru. 



