Mexican Textile Plants.

Manawatu Herald, 22 October 1892, Page 3

Mexican Textile Plants.

(Continued). ZAOATIOX. The zacation, or dog's-tooth, is a wild plant found in abundance at Huamantia and in several other districts. Its root ia highly esteemed in European and American markets tor the manufacture of brushes, brooms, &c It not only requires no cultivaiion v but, on the oontmry, ia an undesirable wdetT, cumbering the ground 1 , w.hich otherwise cannot be utlized for any other crop. The areas of abandoned land are very considerable in Mexico, and in consequence the supply of dog's-tooth is enormoug. It is not long since owners used to pay to hare it weeded out; now, however, thanks to the considerable development of the industry which utilizes this plant, (hos«.who - harvAst it hare to pay

for the privilege, but this, however, is but a very slight tax. From 1884 to 1885 the exportation of dog's-tooth was confined to the port of Vera Crux. It rose to 1,600,000, pounds, with a value of $125,000; but this quantity and value are now more than doubled. As it appears, the cause which has prevented the development of this branch of exportation has been up to the present time the imperfection of the means employed to uproot the plant, to clean it and to bale it. Mr Charles Baur has established on a large scales a dog's-tooth ranch on the sloples of Popocatepetl and Yxtaxinuatl, in which h« employe over five hundred workmen. The specimens which he exhibited at the last Paris Exhibition leave nothing to desire. The fibre is very white and very clean and the baling extremely carefully done. The capital necessary to establish this industry is insignificant and the cost of production very low. The selling prices at the places of extraction is about $7 to $7 50 per 100 pounds, representing about 50 per cent net profit.