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Production and Industry: Mexico

The annual cotton crop is of the average value of $10,857,000; sugar-cane, $8,735, - 000; henequen, $3,718,750; coffee, $3,200,000; tobacco, $2,500,000. Vera Cruz alone raises yearly about 5,000 tons of tobacco. Other products are rice, cocoa, vanilla. The cultivation of the vine has proved successful, and sericulture has been introduced. Large numbers of cattle are reared in Mexico for the United States. In 1883, in Northern Mexico alone, on an area of 300,000 square miles there were 1,500,000 cattle, 2,500,000 goats, 1,000,000 horses, and 1,000,000 sheep. In the whole of Mexico in 1883 there were 20,574 cattle ranches, valued at £103,000,০০০. Vera Cruz Be-

Mexico is rich in minerals, gold, silver, lead, iron, copper, tin, cobalt, antimony, sulphur, coal, petroleum, being either worked or known to exist. There are upwards of 990 mining enterprises in the country, employing upwards of 200,000 men. tween 1821 and 1880, silver was produced to the value of £180,000,000, and gold to the value of £968,200. In 1886-87 the yield of silver was $25,897,982 and of gold $548,415. There are eleven mints in Mexico, and every producer is free to have his bullion coined, the mints receiving 4.62 per cent. for gold, and 4.41 per cent. for silver. The capital invested in Mexican mines on August 15, 1890, was estimated at $500,000,000; the total annual metal product being about $

70,000,000. Operations are now carried on under regulations drawn up in a carefully prepared mining code. The total number of contracts for the exploration and working of mines up to September 1891, under the law of June 1887, was 323; of these 71 had lapsed. The guarantee deposits exceeded $600,000.

In 1888 there were in Mexico 98 cotton factories, which turned out 3,768,308 pieces of manufactured cotton goods, valued at $13,189,078. There were also sixteen woolen factories, seven paper mills, and two factories for earthenware. COMMERCE.

In the last five years the imports and exports have been as follows :- Year.