The National tribune., 1908-02-20

JRSDAY, FEBRUARY ~, lSOS.
sources of the country. While there is
II a large class of landed gentry in Peru,
yet it is easy to buy land when desired.
Great Agricultural Wealth.
The agricultural possibilities of Peru
are enormous, the great diversity of
climate enabling her to grow anything
produced in the Temperate Zone or the
| Tropics. Sugar, which occupies the first
place in Importance among her prod
ucts, is principally grown along the
coast. Altho there are sugar planta-
| lions In the fertile region of the Mon
mountains to the frontiers of Bolivia
and Brazil, they have not nearly reach
ed the development of those of the
coast. The enormous returns from
these plantations have never been sur
/ passed in any country in the world,
and might still be increased by i'm
proved methods of cultivation. The to-
tai value of the sugar annually pro-
duced in Peru is estimated at $4,000
900.
Cotton is grown in very large guam
titles; indeed, it comes next to sugar in
Il Importance, and is of a very fine quail
lty, called "Piura," so called from the
This kind of cotton does not require
much water, which is fortunate, since
most of the coast depends upon irriga-
ton. and the "Piura" cotton, planted on
good land, will produce satisfactory
crop with only one watering.
Various kinds of coffee. all of supe-
rior quality, are produced in Peru. 1t
is grown in different parts of the coun-
try, but its cultivation has acquired the
most Importance in the Montana re-
gion. In 1905 Peru exported 1,02S tons.
The coca plant, from which cocaine
, is made, grows in the warm valleys. Its
, cultivation is particularly delicate, and
all attempts to acclimatize the plant
. out of Peru have proved unsuccessful.
1t is truly a marvellous plant, and pos
Isesses many medicinal qualities. When
Isteeped and drunk like tea ii is stimu-
: lating, and when chewed its effect is
slow and lasting, giving great strength
and endurance without food. 1t is i'm
, possible to say to what degree of i'm
portance the cultivation of coca may
attain, but it is believed to have great
: future before it.
On the banks of all the rivers and
rivuletS which directly or indirectly
. empty into the great Amazon the rub
Der trees are found, and when this por-
; ton of the country is thicEly settled
new source of national wealth will
! been done with rubber yet 1t is of
very good quality There is plenty of
guano, but its pecuniary Importance
has been lessened by the general use
now made of artificial fertilizers.
) At present Peru is behind most other
Nations in manufactures, altho she is
) able to supply her people with almost
) all their needs. But as few countries
In the world produce a greater variety
} of raw materials than she it is but
5 sensible to conclude that when her
! population becomes increased her
manufactures will develop. Trade is
largely in the hands of the enterpris-
ing Germans and the English. tho the
Italians and French have their share
The Italians, who come from the north
of Italy and are a very desirable class
of immigrants, generally find them
selves after few years of hard work,
as before remarked, in easy circum-
J stances. and frequently the owners of
large fortunes. owing to their economy
and perseverance.
'eThe Pearl Of the PaciHc.-
? In speaking of some of the cities of
Peru, the Minister dwelt on the attrac-
, tions of Lima, that Pearl of the Pa
. cific," for nearly 900 years the home of
the Viceroys who ruled the country in
the name of Spain. Some of the resi-
dences of this period are still standing,
whose balconies of delicate, lacelike
r Moorish architecture remind one of
, those seen in Seville. Lima is situated
on a beautiful plain only short dis
I lance from the coast, with several at
( tractive bathing resorts most accessible
to it. The city has many beautiful pub
r lie buildings and statues, parks,
5 churches, etc. 1t has several theaters
5 and one of the largest bull rings in the
| I'll rt,1 Of r iy.an ic
} delightful. The women, who have al
2 ways been celebrated for their beauty,
are very petite, with beautiful black
t eyes and hair. In 1903 the population
f of Lima was estimated at 100000.
\ Nearly all South Americans, the rep
$ resentative of The National Tribune
f was told, are descended from Spaniards
= differ from other Spaniards in their
e pronunciation of the letter e. to which
i they give the sound of &C" rather than
o "th." 1t is always easy, therefore, to
= recognize the South American by this
t popularity.
n The boundary line of Peru is not yet
h fixed. The States have the boundaries
S of 1910.
v Peru has quite recently introduced
e wireless telegraphy as a means of COM
t municaton with the vast eastern coun-
v try of the Amazon Delta, great difficult
f ties being previously experienced in the
s running of a telegraph wire thru the
: thick jungle of torpical forests. The
= excessive moisture also soon destroyed
: the wires and violent storms frequently
n blew down the telegraph poles, all OF
: which made it very expensive and diff
f cult to keep telegraph line in work
(; ing order. 1t is expected that "wire-
h less will be the solving of the problem
@ of satisfactory communication with this
part of Peru.
!. Next year the Peruvians will elect a
o new President.