SUGAR ESTATES IN PERU. 



ORIGIN OF THE SUGAR INDUSTRY IN PERU. 



A translation from Ricardo Pal ma's "Tradiciones Peruanas" gives 

 the following concerning the origin of sugar cane in Pern: 



"Sugar cane was not known in Pern at the time of the Conquest. 

 It was in 1570 that we had the first plantation. The sugar used in 

 Lima was brought from Mexico. The first factory was established on 

 an estate in the valley of Huanuco. Since the sugar it produced could 

 not compete with that of Mexico, the owner of the factory resorted 

 to a clever staragem; that was, to send to Mexico a ship loaded with 

 Hnannco sugar. The Mexican producers swallowed the bait for they 

 supposed that to send them sugar from Peru was as much as to say, 

 "send rosaries to Berber ia" that the production must be abundant 

 .and the price very low. They ceased, therefore, to send sugar from 

 Acapulco, and the sugar industry began to flourish in Peru" 



At the beginning of the modern sugar industry in Pern 30 or 40 

 years ago, the estates then established were small, each having its 

 own factory and organization. The machinery was brought from Eu- 

 rope and the United States and put up generally in accordance with 

 the ideas of the owners, and for this reason we have in Peru factories 

 representing the workmanship of different nationalities. Some of the 

 factories were not only splendidly but elaborately put up, and there 

 are features in some of them that could well be adapted to the 

 modern factory. Sugar was at a good price; money was easily made 

 and liberally spent in appliances then in vogue. Some factories had 

 much of their tubing, their pans, and all of the appliances that could 

 be, made of copper. This desire to have the best regardless of ex- 

 pense extended to all departments of the estate. Sugar then took a 

 turn and went down and many of the estates had to go out of busi- 

 ness. 



The movement at the present time seems to be towards the estab- 

 lishment of large estates. The smaller estates are being leased or 

 purchased and the cane grown on them ground at the home factory. 

 A lew of the larger estates control an acreage of upwards of 15,000, 

 half of which, perhaps, is in cultivation. 



The "Small Cane grower and Central Factory" plan has been 

 adopted to some extent in Peru, the cane grower having his cane 



