Textile Fabrics. 425 
pulque tax was from about 600,000 to 700,000 dollars; 
but in the year 1810, it fell to about 500,000 dollars; in 
the year 1811 to about 400,000 dollars; and from that time 
to the present, it has continued falling, until it has reached 
the present comparatively low average of about 200,000 
dollars annually ; the cause of so sensible a diminution 
being alone attributable to the extensive system of smug- 
gling carried on, and to the increasing neglect and indif- 
ference prevailing amongst public functionaries, during a 
long lapse of years of anarchy and confusion. It is true, 
that it would be at once inexpedient, as well as encouraging 
to the smuggler to levy so onerous a tax upon so important 
an article of consumption as to produce so high an amount 
to the Treasury as that of former times; but it is affirmed 
by competent judges, that were it honestly and properly 
carried out under the present system of imposts, the pulque 
tax might easily be made to produce an annual amount of 
600,000 dollars. 
(To be continued.) 
AN INQUIRY INTO VEGETABLE FIBRES 
AVAILABLE FOR TEXTILE FABRICS. 
BY H. SHERWOOD. 
(Continued from page 98.) 
©)" resuming our inquiry into fibres, we must examine 
how far their attempted treatment has been rea- 
sonable, or in accordance with the existing knowledge of 
their composition. Considering that so little is known of 
the exact composition of individual fibres, or even of fibres 
in general, we are certainly justified in expecting that many 
absurdities will be found in their treatment. We have 
scarcely any reliable analyses of fibres, except of flax in 
various stages of preparation:—-even in these, the minute sub- 
stances present, and especially the form of their compounds 
(the exact knowledge of which is probably the true key to 
the correct treatment of fibres), are undefined. If, therefore, 
science has not led the way by supplying fundamental 
knowledge, it is a matter calculaterd to excite little surprise 
that, in their treatment, quackery and puerile guesses are 
blazoned abroad as wonderful discoveries. To the dis- 
