Daily national Republican., 1864-01-27
Cotton Produstlon-Peruylan cui,ur


But hvs times In the history Of British manu-
haetures has the cotton import exceeded the
agure Of 1,oOo, 900 pounds, or two and
half million bales. The last of these years was
1851. In 1862 more than half that quantity
was imported and an English estimate has
Just been made of more than l,00O, ,O00, 900
pounds for the year 1864, of which 7aO, ,OO0, 900,
or 100000 bales, is expected from India.
Does not this look like solution of the cotton
question without the aid of the United States
Even newSnd wild regions, where It's system
attic euiIars was never known, are opening up
cotton trade under the expanding influence
Of high prices. For instance, Peru, where the
plant becomes perennial, a tree 20 to 25 feet in
height, throwing out biennial crops for ten or
twelve years. This wild cotton was bought of
the Indians for six or seven cents two years
ago, though II has now advanced to twenty,
the sayages being shrewd enough to learn its
aPpreciAtlng value.
The Department of Agriculture has In possess
sion an interesting description ofth inception
OF real cotton cultivation there, In a document
received through the State Department, from
which we are permitted to make the following
extract, relative to the enterprise of an Eng
hSh gentleman, who employed a civil engineer,
Alfred Duvar, of Baltimore, to lay out a plan
tation in the rich valley of Chlra:
The valley of the Chlra is a river bottom,
averaging more than two miles in width, ex.
tending from the Bay OF the Andes, and sus-
ceptible Of irrigation from a small river that
winds through It's rich alluvial deposits. The
Chira is perhaps the longest river, and the val
ley presents the finest soil for the cultivation
OF cotton on the western side OF the Andes
This spot was selected, and by free outlay of
capital, several hundred acres ofland, neglected
wilderness, in an incredibly short time have
been turned into magnificent and productive
cotton lands. The water is raised by expensive
machinery, and led by ingenious devices and
gigantic causeways in such a manner as to
insure abundant crops by unfailing irrigation.
Although II is not two years since the first blow
was struck upon the virgin soil, the next
steamer, am informed, will take TO England
. quantity OF cotton which is valued at from
$4,000 to $4,000. This Is the first pickings
OF cotton plants grown from seed planted within
nine months"
At Carrasquilla, similar gigantic enterprise
is undertaken, and nearly completed, involving
the excavation Of a canal six feet wide, and in
places cut through twenty to thirty feet in
depth OF rock, for irrigation.
In many other localities, the planting of cot
ton has been successfully commenced. The
Egyptian and Sea Island grow well there, and |
the Wild varieties improve under cultivation.
He refers TO the Andes as being covered here
with vegetation, green us the hills of Vermont.
10 thu summit. Cattle were found ranging not
lar from the main passes of the Sierra. Reach
ing the summit, an immense valley forty miles
in width, stretches to the eastward TO another
ridge, whose eastern face slopes down TO the
plains OF Brazil. In this valley, between these
ranges, flows the river Huaucabamba, one of
the head-water tributaries to the Amazon.
The view is represented as beautiful, and the
soil very fertile. A striking fact was the abun-
dance and great luxuriance of new varieties of
plants and flowers. Scarcely less striking was
The extent of cultivation by Indians in thi.
region. The slopes and bottoms are already
'ut up Into plantations and gardens.
The climate Is mild, rain frequent, the peri.
,uleai rains unfalling, and channels Of IrrIga. I
Ion are babblng everywhere. It is asserted I
hat there Is no fruit or tree that might not he
cultivated with success and satisfaction.
The exports Of the region arc orchIna. Perm ~
'isn bark, cochineal and cotton. q
Samples Of wild and cultivated cotton can ho I
cen at the Agricultural Department.