May 1, 1865.] THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



NORTHERN PERU. 443 



small vulture called Hudra-hudra, which will sit patiently picking them 

 off for hours together ; but it exists in too small numbers tc cause any 

 sensible diminution of the pest.* 



Parrots destroy the half-grown pods for the sake of the tender 

 seeds ; but as they feed in flocks, and by day, when the overseers always 

 have their guns ready for them, they have little chance to cause any 

 damage at Monte Abierto. Mice are far greater pests, for they carry off 

 the gores of cotton to pick thereout the ripe seeds. On the steep river 

 bank at Monte Abierto the growth of woody and bushy plants of various 

 kinds is encouraged, to prevent the soil from being washed away ; but 

 the bushes afford shelter to hordes of mice, and it is pitiful to see 

 what a quantity of cotton those little animals will carry thither and 

 waste in a night. 



It only remains to speak of the financial results of the cultivation of 

 cotton by irrigation on the Chira, in which I shall be very brief, for the 

 experiments are still too recent to afford positive data. The wages of 

 machinists and handicraftsmen are pretty high there, ranging from 

 60 dols. to 125 dols. per month (say from 91. to 191. or 20Z.), but only 

 one of the former and two or three of the latter are required at Monte 

 Abierto. Mayordomos, or overseers, receive something less, Peones, or 

 labourers, gain 5 reals (= Is. lid.) per day, but those who have charge 

 of the irrigation are paid as much as 7 reals (= 2s. 8£d.) not including 

 food in either case. Cotton-pickers, who are boys and girls, children of 

 the workmen, receive 1 real (= 4^d.) for every arroba (== 25 lbs.) of 

 seed cotton they pick, and at that rate gain about 9d. per day. I under- 

 stood from Mr. Garland that his total outlay up to the end of 1863 had 

 been about 80,000 dols., and that his monthly expenses at Monte Abierto 

 (those of his household included) rarely exceded 800 dols. At the end 

 of January, 1864, about 200 acres of land were covered with plants that 

 already yield cotton, and about 100 acres more were being planted, 

 chiefly with Egyptian cotton, and might be expected to begin to yield 

 their first crop about June or July. About 200 quintals (= 20,000 lbs.) 

 of clean cotton had already been ginned and packed for exportation, 

 and the first crop of the taller growing kinds had only just begun to be 

 gathered in. We have seen that these latter had been much damaged 

 by blight, especially the native Piura cotton, but the Einon and other 

 kinds still bore many healthy pods capable of yielding some thousands 

 of pounds weight of cotton. After the fertilizing rains that had fallen, 

 it was reasonable to expect that the next crop, which comes on after 

 the southern solstice, would be exceedingly abundant. I calculated, 

 therefore, that the total yield of the 300 acres for the year 1864 could . 

 not be less than 1,000 quintals, and might reach 3,000 quintals. 

 Deducting the cost of freight to England, and taking the average of the 



* Mr. Bates tells me that the cotton-moth is a species of Graphiphora (Fam. 

 Noctuidce), very closely allied to Graphipliora Baja, a species found in Europe, 

 North America, and Rio Janeiro. 



