The sun., 1919-05-26

mountain region: the slopes Of the noun
tains with the valleys between. Here
there are gradations from the desert
conditions of tho coast through tenn
perate to arctic conditions on the noun
tain tops, which, though near the eQua-
tor, are some Of them SO high (the
highest Is more than $4,000 feet above
sea leveD as to have glacier caps. The
Andes run in three parallel ranges with
fertile valleys between. In which the
waters of the mighty Amaxon start on
their long journey across South America
On the eastern slope Of the Andes there
Is again a graduation from the arctic
through the temperate TO the tropio
Jungle region Of the Amazon!an plain or
montana. The sierra region of the
mountain slopes and valleys, with the
eastern slopes of the Andes extending
down through the sub-tropical belt to
the tropical forest, is destined TO be the
future agricultural region of Peru. for
there Is insufficient water for irrigation
on the coast to support q large future
population.
In the sierra region sugar cane fields
and vineyards. Arc in the lower warmer
valleys; above these maize, wheat, oats,
barley and alfalfa grown on mountain
slopes. while highest Of all. above $4,000
feet elevation. only the native potatoes
and quinua will thrive Potatoes which
we call Irish really are descended from
those grown in the sierra region OF Peru
and the south Of Chile. On the eastern.
montana slopes OF the Andes grow sugar
cane, tobacco, coffee. cocoa, cacao, &c.
In fact. there Is no limit to what can
be grown here when the land Is cleared.
transportation provided and agricultural
machinery introduced.
Peru's crying need has been and is
Eieans OF communication, fact which
the Government fully appreciated. for
from using trails Peru went into build
step of road construction. 1t Is pro-
poeed to extend the famous Central
Railroad of Peru, the highest IN the
wcrld, down into the montana region,
which will be long step toward open
ing this region to agriculture. but the
difficulty OF construction Of such a rail-
road 10 considerable. due to mountain
Gus country. forests and rains, without
considering financial reasons.
Three Glasses in Peru.
The real agricultural populatI ton of
Peru. the Cholos, Is also in the sierra
region. Peru has roughly three classes
The whites of Spanish descent and the
nestizos Spanish IndlRn) tho Cholos
or Quechua Indians. once subject to
the Incas. and the wild barbaric
Indians of the jungles. The Span
ish and mestizos to some extent con
stitute the ruling and professional class.
the mestixos and Cholos the laborlng
class In the sierra But the Cholos are
naturally agricultural in their pursuits
and are more numerous than the other
classes.
The Indians arc as addicted 70
coca chewing as n New Yorker to
chewing gum. as the cocaine thus i'm
bibed Is a wonderful stimulant and en-
ables them TO work hard on scanty nour-
ishment In order to rid himself Of the
bitter taste of the coca leaves the
Cholo takes an even more bitter white
powder with It. The Cholo is the aKri-
cultural laborer the Peruvian Govern
ment win have to educate up to the use
Ct modern machinery and methods when
developing farming in the sierras In the
distant future, but for an Indian he ID
remarkably docile and cheerful. There
Is yet possible a great agricultural de-
veloptnent In the coastal region before
| II will reach It's limit of production and
make necessary the undermining OF the
| farming OF the Cholo of the sierraA OF
course, there are In the sierra region a
| number of fairly modernly equipped
plantations. but these are owned not by
| the Cholos, but by whites or mestizos
In the montana region. which will bs
the last to be developed for agricultural
! needs. the inhabitants are wild Indlsns
called chunchos who roam the densS