HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part I. 



productions. The most valua!)le of these, corn, wine, and oil, abound in Chile, as it 

 they had been native to the country. The soil, even that part of it vt^hich has been long 

 in tillage, is so little degenerated by producing successive crops, that no manure is neces- 

 sary. The grain, as some say, yields from 100 to 150 ; but by a more moderate and just 

 estimate, as it is stated both by Molina and in Peyrouse's Voyage, from 60 to 70 in the 

 midland country, and in the maritime 40 or 50. 



1^30. Many of the plants of Chile are the same ivith those ^vTV~r>r<'~^-, Ififi ^^rrffit^ 



of Europe, and almost all the potherbs and fruits of our 't^A 1 )\\m\ //t^^'^Ui, 



Continent flourish there. The northern provinces produce S"^! //' rr^ A\}zi^'''^^S 



the sugar-cane, the sweet potato, and other tropical plants. 



Maize is common and abundant ; the magu is a kind of x ^^ ^a * 



rice, and the tuca a species of barley, both of which were ^ \ fLc ^>ji^ 



cultivated before the arrival of the Spaniards. Peas and 

 potatoes were also well known to the Chilese. Of the latter 

 they have thirty different kinds : and it is even conjectured 

 that this valuable root was first brought into Europe from 

 this country. The large white strawberry of Chile is well 

 known in English gardens. Many of its plants are valuable 

 as dyes, and others as medicinal. The vira-vira expels the 

 ague ; the payco is excellent for indigestion. Wild tobacco 

 abounds in Chile, and also the annotto(.Bij-a Orellana). {Jig. 

 166.) The beautiful flowers and shrubs are infinite. In- 

 cense, not inferior to that of Arabia, is produced by a shrub, 

 distilling tears of a whitish yellow, and of a bitter aromatic 

 taste. The trunk of the puvi supplies excellent cork ; the 

 Salsbla Kali is plentiful on the shores ; and Chile produces seven kinds of beautiful myrtles, one of which 

 yields an excellent stomachic wine, preferred by strangers to any muscatel The crelon furnishes a tea, 

 which is known as a vermifuge. An acacia of the province of Quillota yields a balsam, which is used in the 

 cure of wounds ; and the palqui is esteemed, as a febrifuge, superior to the Peruvian bark. The Cassia 

 Senna grows on the banks of the rivers Maypo and Salvia. Of ninety-seven kinds of trees that diversify 

 the beautiful forests of Chile, only thirteen lose their leaves in winter. Cj^presses, pines, and red and 

 white cedars grow in the valleys of the Andes ; the red cedars, particularly in the Isle of Chiloe, are 

 of an enormous size, so that from 700 to 80() planks, twenty feet long, may be cut from one tree. The 

 cinnamon tree, which yields what is called Winter's bark, is regarded as sacred by the Araucans, who pre- 

 sent it as a token of peace. Beautiful woods of various colours are supplied by the Chilese forests. Vines, 

 though none appear to be natives, flourish admirably well : they are found in the forests, arising from 

 seeds deposited by the birds : on the confines of the river Maiili they are three or four feet high, and 

 supported by stakes ; but further to the south they are left loose on the sides of the hills. The best wine 

 is that which is obtained from the banks of the river Itati, and is commonly called wine of Conception; 

 it is red, generous, of an excellent flavour, and equal to the best in Europe. Muscatel wines are also 

 excellent. The vintage is in April and May. All the other European fruits attain the greatest perfection. 

 Mo.st of the European animals have improved in this delicious climate and fertile country. The cele- 

 brated Spanish sheep have not lost any of their distinguished qualities : the horned cattle are larger than 

 those of Spain ; and the breed of horses surpasses both in beauty and spirit the famous Andalusian race 

 from which they spring. 



1231. Paraguay is a fertile province, and singularly prolific in native vegetables. The 

 climate is extremely hot : the surface of the country consists generally of extensive plains ; 

 but some tracts are very mountainous. The soil is every where rich and deep ; and the 

 native pastures so excellent, that the immense herds of wild oxen which feed on them are 

 only valued for their skins ; the flesh being left to be consumed by ravenous beasts and 

 birds. Among the agricultural products may be mentioned the potato, of which they 

 have several sorts of a large size ; red, white, and yellow cotton ; maize, wheat, and the 



lb' 7 vine. The last is greatly injured by the ants; but where that 



insect is kept under, the wine of Paraguay is excellent. The 

 bean, pea, melon, cucumber, lettuce, turnip, mustard, cress, leek, 

 onion, asparagus, and other European vegetables, are found wild 

 in the plains. The forests abound in the most valuable trees, 

 among which is the Cinchona, or Jesuits' bark, so called because 

 the Society of Jesus settled there had originally the monopoly of 

 this medicine ; the sarsaparilla, sassafras, guaiacum, dragon's 

 blood, nux vomica, vanilla ; Theobroma, or chocolate plant {Jig. 

 167.) ; and several species of the Ceratonia, the seeds of which are 

 ground and made into bread. Palms, figs, peaches, pome- 

 granates, lemons, and oranges are cultivated; and the jujube, mul- 

 berry, granadilla, banana, pine-apple, and a great variety of 

 other fruits, are found in a wild state. Of the live stock, the 



most abundant are the ox and the camel ; but there 



are horses, asses, sheep, many wild swine {jig. 168.), 



and poultry. The bear, elk, deer, ostrich, and others, 



are in a wild state. 



1232. Brazil is the most extensive empire in 

 South America, rivalling Europe in size, while its 

 provinces may be compared to the territories of European sovereigns. It enjoys a 

 climate but little inferior in salubrity to that of Chile, but less variable, as the interior 

 is not traversed by chains of lofty mountains. The climate of the Sertoens (a 

 general name for the inland country) is colder in winter, and wanner in summer, than 

 that of the maritime parts. The first of these peculiarities is caused by its greater 

 elevation ; and the second, by its sandy arid nature, and by the air not being cooled by 



