Vol. XI. No. 255. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



43 



AGRICULTURE IN BOLIVIA. 



The following information respecting the cultivation of 

 coffee, cacao, and the sugar- cane in Bolivia has been extracted 

 by the British Vice-Consul at La Paz from the Boletin de la 

 Ojficina Nacional de Estadisiica: — 



The most fertile region of the Republic of Bolivia is the 

 north-east and the north-west, including a great part of the 

 Department of La Paz, some portion of C'huquisaca and the 

 Department of Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, and the Beni. This 

 region includes the mountainous zone and also that of the 

 plains. In the mountainous zone, cut by deep valleys, the 

 perpetual snow line is at 5,000 metres. The region between 

 2,500 and 5,000 metres in height is called the ' puna ', and 

 produces very little. Valleys are met with between 1,600 

 and 2,500 metres high, and the Yungas, that is, the slopes of 

 the Cordillera Real where the tributary rivers of the Amazon 

 spring forth, lies between 800 and 1,600 metres high. In the 

 valleys and in the Yungas, coffee, cacao, and the sugar-cane 

 are cultivated 



The centre of coffee cultivation is the Yungas provinces of 

 the La Paz Department, and the coffee grown there is gener- 

 ally considered to be the best in quality. The province of 

 Apolobamba of the same Department, and the provinces of 

 Sara, Velasca, Chiiiuitos, and the Cordillera, of the Depart- 

 ment of Santo Cruz, produce a good second-chiss coffee. The 

 product is also cultivated in the Department of Chuquisaca, 

 but on a very .*mall scale. The production of the Yungas 

 provinces of La Paz, which is relatively small at present, 

 could be considerably increased, but the cultivation of cacao 

 appears to be more in favour with the agriculturists of this 

 region. Coffee is exported, Chile and the Argentine being 

 the principal countries of destination. 



The production of cacao is much less than that of coffee. 

 It is chieHy cultivated in the Department of Santa Cruz, 

 although even there conditions are such that the production 

 could be increased. The best quality of cacao is that grown 

 in the province of Apolobamba in the Departnent of La Paz. 

 This cacao is much appreciated by local connoisseurs, and is 

 known under tlje name of 'Pepita de Misiones' or 'Cocoa of 

 Cavinas', from the Franciscan Mission, no longer existing, 

 where it was cultivated. From this spot, which was on the 

 left bank of the navigable rivier Madidi, all the region be- 

 came abundantly supplied with cacao plants, some widely 

 disseminated and others in large groups, which continue up 

 to the banks of the river Madre de Dios. Being so widely 

 spread and in such vast quantities, it is in thought that the 

 production of cacao is one of the most promising future 

 industries of Bolivia. 



The cultivation of the sugar-cane is carried on in the 

 Department of Santa Cruz, where abundant" quantities are 

 produced, principally in the provinces of VeJasco, Chiquitos, 

 Cordillera, and Vallegrande. Only a part of this production 

 is used in the manufacture of sugar, which, notwithstanding 

 its good (|uality, cannot compete with foreign imported sugar 

 in other parts of the country, as it is Tlandicapped too 

 severely by the cost of transport in the interior of the 

 Republic. 



The sugarcane is also cultivated to a certain extent in 

 the province of Azero of the Department of Chuquisaca, the 

 Yungas of the La Paz Department, and in the provinces of 

 Mizque, Totora, and Chapare of the Department of Cocha- 

 bamba. All this production is employed in the manufacture 

 of spirits and molasses. (From The Bcxird of Trade Jour- 

 nal, November 23, 1911, p. 380.) 



THc: THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS 



OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURE. 



As has been stated already, the British section of the 

 International Association of Tropical Agriculture and Colonial 

 Development, founded at the close of the first International 

 Congress of Tropical Agriculture held in Paris in 1905, will 

 be responsible for the organization of the third Congress to 

 be held in London in May 1913, and Professor Wyndham 

 Dunstan, L.L.D., F.R.S., etc , the President, and Dr. Henry, 

 the Secretary of the British Section, and others, are already 

 at work making the necessary arrangements. The Association 

 has its headquarters in Paris, and is governed by an Inter- 

 national Board, from which an Executive Committee of five 

 to seven administrators is selected. 



The work is mainly devoted tc promoting investigations 

 into questions of special importance to tropical agriculture, to 

 publishing the results of these enquiries, and to organizing 

 International Congresses for the discussion of the problems 

 of Tropical Agriculture and Colonial Development. Two 

 Congresses have been held already, and, as is stated above, 

 it is proposed to hold the third Congress in London in May 

 1913. 



Subscriptions for joining the British Section, £1 per 

 annum, payable on January 1, of each year, may be paid by 

 crossed cheque cr money order, to the order of the Secretary, 

 International Association of Tropical Agriculture and Colon- 

 ial Development, British Section, and, in the case cf money 

 orders should be drawn on the General Post Office, London. 

 Letters and subscriptions should be addressed to: The Secre- 

 tary, British Section, International Association of Tropical 

 Agriculture and Colonial Development, Imperial Institute, 

 London, S.W. 



Members of the British Section will have the privilege 

 of taking part in the London Congress without further spec- 

 ial payment. They will also receive all the publications of 

 the International Association. In addition, the quarterly 

 Bulletin of the Imperial Iiixtitnte will be issued to them free 

 of charge. A reading and writing room will be reserved at 

 the Imperial Institute for the use of members of the Section 

 when in London, and members will also be entitled to make 

 use of the General Library and lieading Rooms of the Imper- 

 ial Institute. (From Tropical Life, December 1911.) 



TRADE OF SIERRA LEONE, I9I0. 



Exports are valued, for statistical purposes, at their 

 initial cost, plus all charges incurred up to actual shipment 

 on board the exporting vessel, but exclusive of the expenses 

 of conveyance to the port of destination. 



The total exports for the year under review amounted 

 to £1,249,367, including specie £199,350, showing an increase 

 of £267,901 over the value of the exports for the previous 

 year. 



This is the first time on record that the value of the 

 exports of the Colony has reached a million sterling. 



The principal items contributing to the increase are: 

 ginger, kola nuts, palm kernels, and specie; while palm oil. 

 and, as is to be expected, rice, show a decrease. 



The value of the produce and manufactures of the Colony 

 increased from £529,849, in 1908, to £759,917 in 1909 and 

 £967,625 in 1910, respectively. (From Colonial Reports — 

 Annual, No. 694, p. 12.) 



