The daily union., 1854-12-17
AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES OF NICARAGUA.


Representatives the 18th of July, 1850 find in
terestng of the agricultural of Mica
ragua, which give below In connexcn with the pro-
posed American colonization of portion of the Mosquito
kingdom, these statistics will be found valuable
have already said that the natural resources of Mica
ragua immense but they have been very imperfecy
developed The portion of lands brought under eultiva
ton very small but ample for the support of its popua
tion. There is difficulty in increasing the amount TO
indefinite the forests easily removed and
genial Nature needs forcing to return rich harvess
There many cattle estates, particularly in Choutales
Maiagapa and Segoyia which wide of
try Of these have not less than ten fifteen thou
sand head of cattle each The cattle generally fine
quite equal TO those in the United States
Among the staples of the State and which produced
in great perfection may mention sugar, cotton coffee,
cacao, indigo, tobacco rice, and maize Indian
Sugr-The description of sugar-cane used in Mica
ragua is native OF the country and very different from
the Asatic cultivated in the West Indies and the
United States it is said to be equally productive with
the foreign species the scnderer and softer and
contain and stronger juice in proportion to their
size than the Asatic variety Two crops taken
nual and the does not require repanng but once
in twelve fourteen years The best kind of sugar pro-
duced from the sugar estates is nearly white the
fined sugar of commerce. the crystals being large and
hard. large part of the supply for ordinary consump-
ton is what is called chaacdcd and is the juice OF the
merely boiled till it stazes without being clean
cd Of the moasses quantity Of this is exported to Peru
and elsewhere in South America 1t is stated that hs
"chancaca may be produced ready for sale at 81 rs per
auntal (lOlA lbs Engsh) The most profitable part Of
the sugar establishment is the manufacture of agua
den species of rnm is impossible to say in the alb
OF data what is the amount OF manufacture OF sugar
in Nicaragua it is perhaps enough to know that 1t
be produced indefinitely. The export has been estimated
ut 200, 600 lbs.
Cotton-Cotton of a superior quality to that Of Brazil
may be produced in quantity in Nicaragua "As many
10000 bales of 300 pounds each Dunlap "of clean
and pressed have been exported from this State in
single year the cultivation is however at present lS46
at very ebb" Considerable quantities neverthe-
less raised which manufactured by the natives but
chiefly by the Indians, into hammocks sacloh and Or
binary clothing The domestic cloth is coarse but com
pact, neat and durable
Cogee-Coee of superior quality and probably equal
to any in the world may also be produced indefinitely in
this republic but for it is not extensive
y cultivated The plantations which have seen are very
ourishng and the propreors find them quite prota
BILE any other The limited cultivation is perhaps due
to the circumstance that chocolate is the beverage
the people, and coffee having become article OF
trade export has consequently been neglected There
is why good coffee should not be produced
here as in Costa Rca and the Costa Rca coffee when Of
ered in good condition in England commands higher
price than any other AS however, it is usually shipped
by way Of Cape Horn it often suffers from the protracted
voyage has nevertheless been the almost exclusive
source wealth in Costa Rca The crop of s4 amount
ed to 100000 pounds which, at Sl2 so per cwt (the
average price in The English marke gives 81 100000 as
the reurnsa considerable for State of less than
100000 inhabitants and where the culture has been
introduced but fourteen years. The cost OF produc-
25 per day. is aboutS2 so II the attention of the
people of Nicaragua seriously directed to the pro-
ducon of coffee, It would prove Of great profit
Cacao-Cacao only equaed by that Of Soconosco, on
the coast of Guatemala land which monopOlized
for the Of the royal establishment Of Span cult
waited in considerable quantities. 1t is, however, an ar-
Gle of general consumption among the inhabitants and
consequently commands high price that 1t would not
bear exportaton though 1t could be obtained IN
requisite quantities. About all that finds its way abroad
goes in the Of presents from friend to the other
There why this should not become an article
of large trade and of great wealth. There is one
why its production not greater ana that e
in N a
plantation n paying operation. Few have now the cap
tai to invest and these few IN too feversh state IN
consequence of the distracted condition Of public affairs
| venture upon any investment Under stable condition
of things and by the opening of short and easy channel
to market the cultivation of cacao will rise to be Of the
importance The give two principal crops in the
year It 10 sold from S5 to $40 the qninta, while the
| GuayaquiI is worth but SIS or Sc
I1dgo-Indgo formerly cultivated to considera
BILE extent but has Of late much fallen OF and there
number of fine indigo estates in various parts OF t
republic which have been quite given up With all theii
appurtenances by their respective propretos The plant
cultivated for the manufacture OF indigo is the ndo Ja
a trienual plant supposed TO be native OF America
There also indigenous trennia plant aboundng in
many parts of Central America which produces indigo OF
very excellent quality but gve9 less than half the weight
which produced by the cultivated species The indigo
of Nicaragua is of very superior quality and its export
up 1000 bales of l50 pounds each 1t inn
possible to say what the export is at present probably
not more than 900 1000 bales Under the government
of SPAIN the State of San Salvador produced from 5000
10000 bales annually piece of ground equal to two
acres generally produces ABOUT loO or zo Pouhus ~
cost OF not far from thirty to forty dollars including clear
ing of the field and all Other expenses
Tobdeeo--A large amount Of tobacco is used in Mica
ragua, all of which Is produced in the country consid
erabe quantity this year shipped to California 1t may
be cultivated to any desirable extent and Of very supe
ror quality That Of San Salvador is said to be equal to
the best Havana for cigars
Maize iourishes uxurianty and three crops may be
raised the same ground Annually II is essentially the
sta6of He in all Central America, being the material Of
which the eternal tora is composed The green stalks
iit,no ohnnt
cattle the country and is supplied daily in all the prn-
cpal towns The abundance OF this grain DO inferred
from the fact that fanegd Of Leon equivalent to about
five bushels Engsh of sheled commands in the cap
tal but rs cents
of temperate climates aoarsh in the elevated districts OF
Segova in the northern part of the republic bordering
upon Honduras where is said except in the absence o.
snow little difference TO be observed In respect to eli
mate, from the central parts fthc United States
Rice is abundant in Nicaragua is extensively used ana
like maize may be easily cultivated to any extent desra-
bic it is sold at from 81 90 to So per cwt
In short nearly all the edbles aud fruits of the tropics
produced naturally may cultivated in great per-
ction Plan,ains bananas beans, chile tomatoes bread
fruit arrowroo okro, ctrons, oranges lines, lemons pine
apples THE delicious white Guayaqu well the yellow
variety mamays anonas, guavas cocoa-nus and hun
dred other varieties plants and fruits Among the veg
etable productions of may be mentioned sarsa-
parG, aos aloes pecscuanha ginger vanila Peruvian
bark (qunine,1 cowhagc, copal, gum arabic, capeyi
caouchouc, dragons blood ana vanglo oil plant
Among valuable trees mahogany, logwood, Brazil
wood lignun,ve fustic, yellow sarders pine, ton the
heights dragons blood tree silkcotton tree oak, copal
tree, cedar buttouwood ronwood rosewood, Nicaragua
wood calebask etc. etc "Of these says Dunlap "Bra-
iii wood cedar and mahogany found in the forests in
what may be termed nexhausble quantities" The cedar
is large tree like the red cedar OF the north in nothing
except color and durability and in sodity and other re-