388 On the Commerce of Mexico. 
Oaxaca and Tehuantepec, Queretaro, Guanaxuato, and 
Michoacan, at St. Juan de los Llanos, Cuatla de Amilpas, 
Huichapan, Tulancingo, and in many other places in the 
Mexican Empire, which it would be tedious to specify, and 
also, to a more limited extent, in the States of San Luis 
and Tamaulipas, and that particular species producing 
“henequen,” to which we shall presently refer, in Yucatan, 
the great maguey district is that of the plains of Apam 
(Llanos de Apam), embracing a range of territory of more 
than 600 square leagues, almost covered with the plant, 
either in its wild or cultivated state, and abounding in rich 
estates. 
This vast maguey district is now entirely destitute of 
trees, although vestiges remain of cedar forests having for- 
merly existed there, the soil being light, stony, and appa- 
rently arid in many places; indeed, nothing can be less 
agreeable to the eye, or promising in its general aspect, 
than these, or any other maguey plantations, although so 
surprisingly productive. 
The two year old plant of the best species is commonly 
valued at about a quarter of a dollar, the four year old 
plant at 2 dollars, the eight year old plant at 4 dollars, and 
those of from twelve to fifteen years old at from 6to 8 
dollars ; and thus there are maguey growers in the district 
in question, whose estates are not worth less than some 
millions of dollars, taking into account the amount of 
pulque produced. There are few branches of agriculture, 
indeed, so productive in any country, as is proved by the 
following calculation based upon a careful study of the 
subject, taking, as a basis, ground well adapted for the 
cultivation of the maguey, and an imaginary number of 
1,000 plants :— 
Dolls. c 
Cost of plants, transport, transplanting, &c. a) 2geeae 
Cultivation during 15 years i sie .«) , BGs 8 
_ Contributions during the same period Pe 
Total a 363.2 
At the expiration of eight, ten, twelve, fifteen, and six- 
teen years, each of these plants will have produced ; and if 
the return made by each be calculated at only 5 dollars, 
we find that a capital, which may be estimated at about 
400 dollars, will have produced (it is true after a long in- 
terval of time) the immense return of 5,000 dollars. 
(To be continued.) 
