The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-02-19

manioc yam from what is called ''tapi-
I oca'' is obtained. Biscuits and crackers
of all sorts will be greatly in demand by
South America.
Every effort to grow wheat there, OUT
side of the Argentine and Chill, has
been Intellectual. Some has been culti-
waited on the high plateaux of the North,
| but the crops were scarce sufficient to
feed the hands that harvested them
Venezuela, in order to compel the cult
Walton OF the grain, put prohibitory
! duty on imports of it, while Guatemala.
with similar object. offered large boun-
ties to wheat farmers. But all trials
proved that the climate and soil of the
tropical zones are not suited to the pros
duct
EXCESSIVELY FRUITFUL SOIL.
Over large areas of South america the
agriculturist is confronted by very Gu
rious and paradoxical problem, The
soil is SO excessively fruitful that he finds
it difficult, if not impossible, to get his
living out of it. He cannot keep down
the luxuriant natural vegetation, in Or
der to replace it with cultivated and val
liable plants. Grass of Rrohdignagian
growth springs up faster than he can
cut it down or pull it up, while vines
rivaling in rapidity Of development that
which bore Jonah's famous gourd over
whelm his crops, and weeds of all sorts
array themselves in competition with
whatever be tries to raise. But, with
the progressive improvements In agfi-
cultural machinery and appliances,
there is destined soon to arrive time
when this wonderful southland, subdued
by the plough, will be the most produces
tive region on the earth.
The gold and diamond mines of Brazil
are the richest in the world, but the gold
mines remain almost wholly undevel-
oped, owing to lack of transportation
facilities and of machinery to work
them. Some notion of their richness
may be obtained from the experience of
+ a Portuguese company, which, in the
year 1881, turned a river in the Province
of Goyaz out OF its course by building
large dams. Only one days work was
done in getting out sand from the river
bed after the stream was turned off, for
the same evening the dams broke, and
the water, resuming its old course
drowned 800 slaves and entirely de-
stroyed the results of twelve months
labor. But the sand dug out on that
day yielded thousands CT gold bricks,
which paid several times over for the
entire investment that had been made
in the enterprise. This district is now
owned by capitalists in the United
States, and before long it is intended to
turn that river once more and delve for
its store of yellow wealth. The Moro
Velh in Brazil Is considered the Richest
gold mine known. The Portuguese opened
it 800 years ago; it was opened IS years
ago by an English company, and its
workings now extend three miles under
ground Unlike other gold mines its
product is continuous and never falling.
The finest gold lace in the world is made
! in Ecuador, of native metal. There is
no very extensive market for 1T, and it is
sold chiefly to rich people, who make
presents of it to friends at home and
abroad.
! THE DIAMOND FIELDS.
There are no diamonds now praduced
equal to those of Brazil, which is a coun-
try just about the size of the United
States. They are usually perfectly white,
and none of them have the yellow hue
which so greatly iiminishes the market
value of the South African stones. The
diamond-producing formation is pecu-
liar. Very valuable gems have often
been found lying exposed on the plain.
while others have been discovered SO
embedded in rock that it was necessary
to chisel them out, Great companies
work the mines and fresh ones are being
continually opened. 1t is quite certain
that only some of the deposits have been
struck as yet.
At a recent state dinner given by the
Brazilian Minister for Foreign Affairs
the host stated, in response to q toast,
that South Americans were yankees too,
as could be proven by the fact that
whereas the national dish of the United
States was pork and beans. the national
dish al all the Southern republics was
beef and beans. The beef they use for
this purpose is ''jerked," the process be
ing to cut the animal into strips, which
are dried with salt. If you want to buy
a pound, half yard is cut off for you
by the butcher. This, with baked beans,
is indeed the national dish of South
America.
The usefulness of this plan of reel
procity both to the United States and
the South American republics is ex-
pressed when the fact is stated that ev
erything we make is something they
want, and vice versa.
Some Startling Facts.
The official returns from the board Of
health show that nearly three-fourths Of
all deaths are from consumption. When
We think oyer this fact it is really awful
= Il, or fo cir ,le