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The mountain slopes from about San Pedro to beyond San Miguel & down to an elevation of about 7000 ft. are cleared over considerable areas & planted to wheat which is the main crop grown here. From along our elevated trail we could see far across the deep gorges bordering our course to other villages on distant slopes of the surrounding mountains all bordered by scattered areas of cleared land devoted to wheat. The soil has been cultivated over a large span of these slopes despite their steepness between 7000 & 8500 ft. and as a result much of the original forest has been destroyed. On the tops of the ridges the woods are largely in a natural condition except for the damage that has been done by the constant fires that spread over the mts. from newly cleared land when the fallen timber is burned.

Along the road we met many people going to Pluma from various parts of the valley of Oaxaca carrying articles to sell on market day. The high price of coffee & abundant work now to be had in the coffee district causes an active traffic along this trail. Huge crates of chickens, great loads of earthen pots & kettles made of a black clay were very common & pack trains of corn, corrugated iron