Page:Mexico and its reconstruction.djvu/228

210 sisal production will contribute increasingly to her foreign trade. Other vegetable fibers, especially ixtle and broom root, have also been exported in increasing quantities.

Coffee culture was introduced into Mexico from the West Indies. Two areas, one on the Atlantic with the cities Orizaba and Cordova as centers, and the other on the Guatemalan border, have proven especially suited to this crop. The United States has always been the chief buyer. Before 1870 exports were negligible. By 1878 they had risen to a value of 1,242,041 pesos and in 1912-13 to 11,263,701 pesos. Raw tobacco, of which a value of 132,971 pesos was exported in 1872-3, was sent abroad to the amount of 1,002,611 pesos in 1912-13. Chick peas, garbanzos, were apparently first exported in 1882-3, when a value of 28,855 pesos was shipped. In 1912-13 garbanzos worth 4,930,362 pesos left the country. Rubber exports began to be important in 1896-7. They rose rapidly to a value of 21,187,770 pesos in 1910-11, the highest value they ever reached. In the same year guayule was exported to a value of 11,797,910 pesos Mexican currency. Important increases are also to be noted in cabinet and dyewoods, vanilla, chicle, cattle, and hides and skins. The diversification of Mexican exports is illustrated by a comparison of the articles exported to the amount of 1,000,000 pesos at various periods. Besides the precious metals, there were in 1877-8 only three such articles, in 1882-3 only four, in 1891-2 only five. Then came the period of rapid development. There were 12 articles besides mineral products in this class in 1902-3 and in 1912-13 there were 14.