Pineapple.— In the production of this fruit Mexico excels and is constantly improving her output. The towns of Cordoba and Amatlin, in the state of Vera Cruz, have long been noted for the size and quality of the pineapples grown in the regions round about them. The fruit is also successfully raised in the states of Puebla, Hidalgo, Tabasco, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Morelos, Guerrero, Michoacan, Colima, Jalisco and Na yarit. It thrives best at elevations of 2,000 to 3,000 feet. It was cultivated before the Con quest. Its leaves have for centuries been util ized to a greater or less extent in the manufac ture, though by crude methods, of rope, twine, thread, mats, bagging, hammocks, paper and cloth of various colors. The value of pineap ples grown in 1913 is given as $642,382, the chief producers named in the official reports being the states of Nayarit (then territory of Tepic), Hidalgo, Vera Cruz and Tabasco.
Other Products.— Included in the general category of agricultural products and of the numerous other articles closely allied to them. which are or can be successfully cultivated in Mexico, may be mentioned the yucca, or starch plant, which is said to contain six times as much nutritive matter as wheat, and which is grown principally in the states of Vera Cruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Tahasco and Yucatan; chicle, or chew ing gum, of which over $4,340,000 worth has been exported to the United States in a single year; the mango, one variety of which (the Manilla) seems to combine about all the more delicate and delicious flavors of the choice fruits of the world. Being very perishable, it cannot be transported a great distance without suffering serious depreciation in value. The apple, peach and pear are all grown in various parts of the republic, but none has yet been brought up to anything like the standard of ex cellence reached in the United States, notwith standing that almost all the natural conditions are exceptionally favorable to their cultivation.
Stock-raising.— The plains of northern Mexico and the valleys of the southern portion offer most favorable opportunity for profitably engaging in the livestock business. The climatic and other conditions are very favorable, the grasses are most nutritious. The transportation rates and facilities are such that cattle can be raised in Mexico and shipped to the markets of the United States at a good profit. • An idea
of the increase of this industry in Mexico may be gained from the reports by the government of the number of cattle exported annually. These show a regular and very considerable in crease in normal times. The Para grass of the southern Mexican states is always green, grows luxuriantly and is very nourishing. It is estimated that an acre of this will feed two head of stock the year round, and that three acres in pasture will fatten four head. Because of the great number of flies and ticks in the low country, very young stock thrives better on the higher plains of Durango, Chihuahua, Michoacan, etc. Mexico has an abundance of sustenance to provide for an enormous in crease of her present supply of livestock of every kind. The states of Durango, Sonora, Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Vera Cruz and Michoacan consti tute an admirable field for the carrying on of the cattle industry. As far back as 1883, there *roamed over an area of 300,000 square miles in the northern part of the country,* accord ing to a well-known writer, *1,500,000 cattle, 2,500,000 goats, 1,000,000 sheep, 1,000,000 horses and 500,000 mules, and there were 20,574 cattle ranches in the republic, valued at $515, 000,000.* Between the cities of Jalapa and Vera Cruz, and between Vera Cruz and Cor doba, great numbers of cattle were to he seen from passing railway trains, their sleek and well-rounded sides testifying to the excellence of the indigenous grasses before the revolution came to partially destroy an industry that prom ised to become very much greater in the near future.
The future of agriculture in Mexico is now apparently brighter than it has ever before been. The government has attempted to settle questions which have long been calling for so lution; and among these none is of more im portance than that of the division of land. The law of the republic calls for the subdivision of the large estates of the country and for the creation out of the Indian and mestizo popula tion of a gradually increasing agricultural class which shall grow into a great middle class in the not distant future. See bibliography under article MANUFACTURES. •