AGRICULTURAL. SURVEY OF SOUTH AMERICA 75 
The Paraguay River rises in the State of Matto Grosso, Brazil, 
and flows 1,800 miles south and southeast to its junction with the 
Parana. It is from one-half mile to several miles wide, full of 
islands and sand bars, water slightly colored, eastern bank generally 
high and western bank generally very flat, both well-wooded. It is 
navigable its entire length for vessels of small draft. 
The River Pilcomayo forms a southwestern boundary between 
the Paraguayan and the Argentine Chaco for a distance of more 
than 300 miles, and is navigable for small boats. 
There are many other smaller rivers, some of which are navigable 
for short distances by boats of light draft. 
SOILS 
In a country so diversified in its topography as Paraguay there are 
naturally many different types of soils. East of the river soils are 
generally light in color and a considerable proportion of them are 
deep red, like the red clays of the Piedmont section of Virginia, the 
Carolinas, Georgia, and Alabama. These soils are said to be best 
for verba mate, coffee, sugar cane, tobacco, and cotton. There is 
also a large percentage of coarse, red, sandy-clay soils, especially 
near the rivers. In the valleys and low places the soil is dark and 
appears to have more humus. The soils appear to be derived largely 
from sandstone and granite. Apparently they are not so strong as 
the dark loam soils of the Argentine pampa, but the abundance of 
rain compensates in large measure for their deficiency. The soils 
of Paraguay are described as " fertile, rich in organic nitrogen and 
mineral, soluble phosphoric acid, potash, lime, iron, and magnesia. 
No other soil is comparable with it except the red soils of Brazil." 16 
But in the southern part, from Encarnacion to Asuncion, there is no 
evidence of lime. 
NATIVE VEGETATION 
Paraguay is covered almost throughout its extent with native 
vegetation, an alternation of forests and prairies. East of the river 
the hills and sierras are covered with a thick growth of heavy timber, 
magnificent trees of hardwood suitable for construction and cabinet 
work. On the lower levels are great palmeros, regions covered with 
a scattered growth of tali, graceful palms that are useful for their 
fruit, their leaves, and their wood. The palms make excellent tele- 
graph and telephone poles and fence posts, as they are straight and 
durable. East of the river innumerable groves of yerba mate {Ilex 
faraguay ensis) are found, perhaps the most valuable product of the 
country. There are vast numbers of wild orange trees which bear 
excellent fruit. At least a hundred varieties are found of trees 
useful for construction and cabinet work, such as lepacho, cedro, 
palo santo, guayabi, jacaramda, curupay, guayaba, amoreseco-guazu, 
tuyra-para, guaberay, laurel-morobi, espma corona, araticui, palo 
bianco, etc. There are innumerable spiny shrubs and bushes. 
West of the river are alternating zones of forests, prairies, and 
marshes. The forests contain many species, but the most valuable 
are quebracho Colorado, quebracho bianco, algorroba, cedro, various 
16 Gasped, Luis de. Geografia del Paraguay . . . 1 ed. Buenos Aires, Talleres "Casa Jacobo Peu- 
ser," 1920. 
