278 



REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



and 40 acres additional for each child; a house built for him, two oxen, 

 one milch-cow, and the necessary agricultural implements. After a certain 

 number of years a clear title is given him to the land on payment of 

 $1.25 per acre and the value of the goods advanced. Yet few are report- 

 ed as having settled on the societies' lands. Improved methods and 

 results iu agriculture by these and all available means are much needed. 

 The shipments to the United States from the port of Valparaiso for 

 the year ending September 30, 1876, were : 



Nitrate of sodu $602,834 22 



Sheep's wool 243,677 01 



Goat-skiB8 27, '351 65 



Coal 16,147 02 



Walnuts tt, 183 42 



Rags 8,985 06 



Hides - $2,242 39 



Straw bats 1,537 00 



Quicksilver-flasks 1,151 06 



Quallarbark 1,050 22 



Chiuchilla skins 960 37 



Miscellaneous 185 06 



Total 914,305 08 



PERU. 



Very little progress is made in agriculture in this country, the inhab- 

 itants having little inclination to give it their attention and labor. The 

 agricultural productions exported are very inconsiderable in amount, as 

 the few figures below would intimate, representing the trade in them with 

 the United States in 1875: Cacao, $129.71; wool, $1,295.94; raisins, 

 $32.09; tea, $2,743.78; sugar, $418.22; total, $4,620.34. The cotton of 

 Peru is sold in Great Britain. The total general exports to the United 

 States from Callao in 1875 were $8 < 0,718.89 for the year ending Septem- 

 ber. 



The great articles of export are guano, of which that sent to the 

 United States in 1875 amounted in value to $468,951, and nitrate of soda, 

 which came to the United States to amount of $764,736. 



Scarcity of labor prevents the exteu!<ion of the culture of cotton and 

 sugar, it is estimated that at no distant day the export of guano from 

 Peru must cease. The new deposits are of inferior quality. The trade 

 iu nitrate of soda is making great extensions. 



Our principal domestic exports to Peru were, last year, as follows: 



Value. 

 Total value $1,176,922 



Agricultural implements 4, 195 



lilackiag 2, 082 



Bread and breadstuffd : flour, 11,329 barrels 84, 041 



Brooms and brushes 3, 565 



Candles 1,388 



Carriages, carts, railroad-cars, and clocks 94, 445 



Cordage : ropo and twine 25, 005 



Cotton and manufactures of 57, 772 



Fruits 2,022 



Gas-fixtures « ., 2, 783 



Gold and silver, and manufactures of 175,200 



Hemp and manufactures of - 6,073 



Iron and manufactures of 84, 352 



Steel and manufactures of 7, 219 



Junk aud oakum 2, 295 



Lamps 3,866 



Leather and manufactures of 3,753 



Musical instruments... 3,720 



Naval stores 1 1, 982 



Mineral oLIib, refined 46, 735 



Animal oils 3, 548 



taintiuga, engravings, paper, and stationery 2, 072 



Perfumery 31, 793 



Provisions . ................ .. 117,874 



