2Q6 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Nov.  2,  1896. 
whose  combination  of  craft  and  ignorance  is  suilicieni 
to  ruin  the  richest  nation  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 
When  Peru  finds  her  Portirio  Diaz  as  Mexico  has  done, 
she  will  advance,  but  as  long  as  she  is  the  victim  of 
political  jackals  she  cannot  hope  to  take  the  positi  n 
among  nations  that  her  undoubted  natural  wealth 
should  give  her. 
The  configuration  of  the  Chaaciiamayo  valley  is 
admirably  suited  to  the  cultivation  of  collee.  On 
the  slopes  of  the  hills  the  temperature  is  just  that 
required,  and  there  is  very  little  liability  of  the 
water  lodging  at  the  roots  of  the  trees  during  the 
rainy  season.  In  flat  lauds  the  humidity  caused 
hy  too  much  moisture  is  detrimental  to  coflee  plants, 
hence  tho  advisability  of  selecting  territory  that 
has  sufficient  slope  to  insure  perfect  drainage.  A 
sharp  declivity  is  also  bad,  because  the  heavy  rains 
cut  away  the  subsoil  rapidly  and  soon  render  the 
cleared  hillsides  sterile. 
Deep  soil  is  also  necessary  for  the  coffee  plant, 
in  order  that  its  roots  may  develop  to  their  fullest 
extent.  For  this  reason  the  lands  lying  immediately 
on  the  banks  of  the  Chanchamayo  river  are  unsuited  to 
the  cultivation  of  coffee,  the  soil  being  clayey  and 
shallow.  Besides  this,  tho  low  valley  lands  abound  in 
ants,  which  would  soon  attack  and  devour  all  the 
young  plants. 
Water  is  plentiful,  as  can  readily  bo  understood, 
and  it  can  be  conducted  to  nearly  all  the  hill  slopes 
with  but  little  trouble  or  expense.  Therefore,  while 
for  coffee  cultivation  artificial  irrigation  is  unneces- 
sary, or,  in  fact,  not  of  much  value,  it  can  be  uti- 
lised for  other  plants,  such  as  those  used  for  imme- 
diate consumption ; and  those  intending  to  take  up 
lands  should  always  keep  in  mind  that  the  water- 
will  have  to  be  used  for  power  when  the  time  comes 
to  put  up  macH.iery,  Ac.,  for  preparing  the  coffee 
for  market.  At  present  all  the  machinery  in  the 
valley  of  the  Chanchamayo  is  driven  by  water  power, 
of  which  there  is  an  abundance  in  the  different  rivers 
and  streams. 
The  rains  are  heavy  during  the  months  of  Decem- 
ber, January,  February  and  March  ; mists  known  as 
dijuaceros  are  experienced  in  October,  November, 
April,  and  May,  and  the  other  four  months  are  com- 
pletely dry : not  dry  as  is  known  in  England,  but 
BO  dry  that  everything  is  parched  up  as  if  subjected 
to  the  heat  of  a great  oven,  the  coffee  plants  lying 
solely  by  the  moisture  they  are  able  to  take  up  by 
their  deep  roots. 
The  question  of  labour  is  one  that  will  have  to  be 
seriously  faced  very  soon.  Even  now,  at  the  very 
beginning  of  the  development  of  the  district,  it  has 
become  necessary  to  enlist  cJuicva  hands  in  the 
more  distant  towns  of  Huancayo,  Jauja,  and  Tarraa, 
because  the  labour  element  of  La  Merced  has 
thinned  out  considerably,  and  many  of  tho  work- 
men (?)  prefer  to  live  in  a state  of  idleness  than 
to  do  anything  to  help  along  the  rising  industry  of 
coffee  culture.  The  cholas  (mixture  of  Indian  and 
Spanish)  who  are  brought  from  the  towns  on  the 
sides  of  the  mountains  cannot  stand  the  change  of 
climate,  and  are  for  ever  piuiirg  to  get  back  to  their 
homes  again.  It  is  really  aggravating  to  see  this 
human  species  sauntering  about  with  theii  hands 
thrust  in  their  pockets,  totally  oblivious  to  the  fact 
that  if  they  withdrew  them  and  worked  they  would 
better  themselves.  They  are  a lazy  lot,  and  will 
only  work  when  they  are  captured  like  wild  beasts 
and  sent  to  the  capital  handcuffed,  for  the  purpose 
of  filling  the  ranks  of  the  different  regiment?.  Then 
they  become  abject  slaves,  and  tight  without  really 
knowing  what  they  are  killing  each  other  for.  The 
sooner  their  generation  passes  away  the  better  it 
will  be  for  the  country’s  welfare.  Compared  with 
the  chuncho,  or  full-breed  Indian,  they  are  worthless 
as  hands  in  clearing  territory  for  coffee.  The  latter- 
know  how  to  use  tlio  axe  and  machete  with  great 
skill,  and  are  used  to  work  in  the  dense  woods. 
Ilovvever,  as  the  chunchos  are  so  few  , the  others 
are  acceptable  on  the  principle  that  they  are  bottor 
than  nothing.  .1 
Their  pay  varies  according  to  tlie  distance  they 
have  to  come,  and  ranges  from  .M)  cents  to  one  sol 
per  day.  There  also  exists  a certain  custom  of 
giving  them  three  ropas,  ®r  drinks  of  chacta,  per 
day.  Chacta  is  a strong  liquor  made  from  the  sugar- 
cane, before  which  the  whiskey  of  the  Indian  out- 
posts in  the  States  would  have  to  retire  to  the  list 
of  temperance  beverages.  They  are  also  provided 
with  a place  to  sleep  in.  The  food  they  provide 
themselves;  but  if  the  owner  of  the  chacra  engages 
to  supply  them,  he  deducts  25  cents  per  day  from 
their  money.  The  chuncho,  as  has  been  stated,  are 
much  more  to  be  preferred  as  workmen  w-hen  pre- 
paring the  land.  They  are  perfectly  acclimated,  since 
they  inhabit  the  adjacent  forest,  and  they  have  not 
that  constant  anxiety  to  go  to  their  homes.  Ar- 
rangements with  one  or  more  of  them  can  be  made 
to  clear  a certain  area  of  land,  they  taking  in  ex- 
change all  kinds  of  trinkets  and  articles,  among  which 
tho  shot-gun  is  tho  most  highly  prized.  They  also 
require  their  own  copas  of  chacta,  but  do  not  re- 
quire sleeping  quarters,  as  they  go  to  their  homes 
every  night. 
When  a chuncho  takes  a contract  to  clear  a cer- 
tain piece  of  land,  he  takes  his  own  time  to  do  it. 
When  he  goes  to  work,  he  does  not  play  with  the 
axe  or  machete — he  works  bard  : but  he  may  not 
turn  up  again  for  a day  or  two.  If  there  are  any 
shot-guns  mentioned  in  the  contract,  however,  the 
chuncho  knows  no  rest  until  his  work  is  finished  and 
he  receives  the  coveted  prize.  One  difficulty  with 
them  is  their  language.  But  few  of  them  under- 
stand Spanish,  and  it  is  necessary  to  have  an  inter- 
preter : unless,  indeed,  the  subject  discussed  is  chacta, 
and  then  they  can  make  themselves  better  unders- 
tood by  signs  than  they  could  through  the  most 
eloquent  intermediary. 
Iteferring  to  their  love  of  the  shot-gun,  it  can  be 
said  that  they  know  the  use  of  it  very  well,  and  some 
of  them  would  be  considered  fair  marksmen.  They 
are,  as  is  natural  born  hunters,  and  make  good  camp 
suppliers  if  they  do  not  take  into  their  heads  to 
leave  for  parts  unknown,  with  the  shot-gun  loaded 
them  for  the  purpose  of  hunting.  One  of  them,  who 
understood  Spanish,  was  asked  how  he  managed  to 
bring  down  a )>aco  del  monte  (Mountain  Turkey)  so 
soon  after  leaving  camp.  He  immediately  went  threu^h 
a species  of  perforniauce  illustrating  his  crawling 
through  the  undergrowth  until  he  saw  the  bird. 
He  then  sat  down  and  gave  a perfect  imita- 
tion of  the  turkey  calling  its  mate.  He 
wound  up  the  exhibistion  by  saying  “ Cara 
hlanca  (whiteface)  tries  to  go  to  Turkey.  Turkey 
kuows  too  much,  so  cara  hlanca  has  to  travel  very  far, 
and  when  he  makes  a noise  off  goes  the  bird.  I see 
my  bird  and  then  call  him.  He  comes  to  be  shot 
ana— boom  !— down  he  goes.  Cara  hlanca  cc  tonto.'' 
The  latter  remarks  are  not  complimentary  to  the 
paleface,  being  capable  of  abbreviation  into  Anglo- 
Saxon  monosyllables. 
Taking  the  work  of  the  cholo  by  day  hire  and  that 
of  the  chuncho  by  contract,  there  is  an  appreciable 
difference  in  favour  of  the  latter,  not  counting  the 
fact  that  there  is  a saving  also  in  the  trouble  of 
superintendence.  It  is  therefore  a great  pity  that 
their  number  is  so  small,  as  their  service  could  be 
utilised  to  great  advantage. 
There  is  another  way  of  accomplishing  the  work 
of  establishing  coffee  chacras,  which  is  adopted  by 
those  having  capital  and  who  do  not  wish  to  under- 
take the  work  of  clearing  and  jilanting  themselves. 
It  is  by  tho  employment  of  what  are  known  as 
mejoreroc.  The  mcjorcros  are  men  to  whom  the 
lands  are  handed  over  for  a term  of  four  years. 
They  are  also  given  the  necessary  tools,  and  are 
supplied  with  food  during  the  whole  period.  At  the 
end  of  the  time  stated  they  return  the  chacra 
to  the  owner  in  a perfect  state  of  cultivation, 
the  trees  being  sufficiently  advanced  to  bear  their 
first  crop  The  owner  then  pays  them  at  :he  rate 
of  15  cents  per  plant,  first  deducting  all  the  ad- 
vances made  for  food,  Ac.,  nothing  being  omitte.l. 
A strict  account  of  tho  advances  is  kept  by  both 
parties,  and  the  balance  is  handed  over  to  the 
mejorcro. 
