April i, 1892.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
775 
that district by Ibe road leadiui? off at Acobamha- 
My fleeorip ion of tho agricnltnral couditions around 
Tarma and in the temperate zone will servo as fully 
embracing in every particular tbo locality as faraaJunin. 
This village (12,000 feet elevation) is silusted in the 
middle of the large pampa. or plain, known as the 
Juuin Pampa, and serves ns a pUue of resting and 
trade betwotn the smaller hamlets iu the bill diAtriots. 
Arouul Jonin sheep farming is the chief source of 
industry. The animals are in food onnditiou, the 
pasturage ia abuiidaut, and is capable of mAintaining 
large flooka. An attempt at wheat growing, chitlly 
for the fake of the straw, is not a suecess. 
From this point until Cerro de Payco is reached, 
there is a general ascent with a corresponding dimi- 
nution in tho produotiveucss of the land. Cerro de 
Pasco, the centre of the mining region, is a town of 
6,000 to 0,000 inhabitants. There are about 400 mines 
in the district. The ore is reputed very rich, the lower 
workings being the much more valuable. 
A coasiderable trade is done with Chanohuuiayo in 
rum aud ccca ; the former being sold at $ i per arruba 
of 25 lb. 
Labour hero is more plentiful, and the average pay 
of each man is 70 ctnts of a sol per diem. 
A rich seam of coal ia found here and, being ac* 
ceasible froai the furfaoe, operatiocs are conducted at a 
small coal. 
There is a decided aud general request on the part 
of the inhabitants for some more expe ittious mode 
of transit than at present exists ; and it ta my opinion 
that the Corporation could with advantage to them- 
selves extend their railway system to this town, and 
thus tap all the trafiic to <tnd from tho mines. 
This mining district extends about midway to Huari- 
aooa at which point tho country begins to asinine su 
agricnlturai appearance similar iu every way to Tarma. 
The valley is rich in the production of temperate 
cereals. 
The land in the imme lists vicinity of the valley is 
steep, while the soil is of a rich loam, an admixture 
disintegrated rock. The crops grown hero compare 
very favourably with the Tarma district. 
Not until within ten milesof a village, Ambo by name, 
is there any alteration in the general character of the 
country. 
No accurate or reliable data could be obtained re- 
garding tho output of any of the crops, with the excep- 
tion of a district between Cerro de Pasco and Huariacca, 
where some 25,000 quintals of potatoes ate produced 
after snppljing tho U' edi of tho mountain towns. 
Leaving Ainbo, the very fertile valley leading into 
Huanuco is entered upon. Ucre the arable land on 
either side of the little ttream ia fully cccupied by agri- 
culturists. The valley is about 15 miles long by, iu 
some places, 2 miles wide. The cliruato resembles that 
of Tarma but, being a lower altitude, the temperature 
is higher. 
The flora of the valley, especially on the precipi- 
tous hills on oilhtT side, is of a very dry type, 
and is represented by such plants as Cactaccue, of 
which the only plant of economic value is the 
Opuntia cochinellifora, on which the cochineal iuseot 
lives. It wns here, also, that 1 found tho species 
Agave which is known to the Spsniah as ** Pita,” (and 
which ou my return to Kugland I identified as Agave 
f'igiJaf var, jjWanfl), or what is known to commerce 
*8 ” Sisal Hemp.” This is a very valuable fibre plant, 
KQd is at present receiving special attention iu tropical 
countries. Tho plant is found wild here, and is used 
•sa fence round small properties. 
Tho natives use the fibre for binding purposes, hut 
do not kuow tho value of it comniercially. 
The plant can be dUileguiebed by its long green 
leaves with a uniform breadth except in the middle 
of the leaf, which may be one to two inches broader ; 
Qo marginal spines ; only the large black terminal spine. 
The plant could bo largely planted throughout this 
xone, and as will have been noticed, is highly recom- 
mended to the dry zone about Tarma. 
A.11 agricultural pursuits throughout the valley are 
carried on by meaus of irrigation which tho stream 
•fforilB TUe ButTOuudiug bills »te very dry, .ud are ouly 
capable of buins cultivated where water ia obtainable* 
Hdanuco. — T he town stands at the foot of the 
valley, aud has n popnlatiou of 3,000 to 4,000, piuong 
whom area number of German merchants having in- 
tereats in the Hoauzo diatriot. 
The chief products cultivated aionnd Huanuco are 
sugar esne, cotfoe, cotton, maize, with English vege- 
tables and frnit trees, snrh as apples, pears, peaches, 
chirrimoya, and Lnciena. 
Sugar cane ia grown for the sake of rum, which 
commands a high price here, being Bold at S3'30 per 
arroba, aud is chiefly despatched to Cerro de l*.sco and 
the villages on tho hills. 
1 era of opinion that coffee could not bo grown other 
than by means of irrigation. That produced is of very 
flee quality, and is chiefly dispatched to Lima by way 
of Cerro de Pasco. 
The other prodnota are of minor importance, being 
grown only for local oonsumption. 
All the available land at Huanuco ia already fully 
under cultivation. The Corporation, therelore, need 
not expect any territory for development there. 
■\Vhilo at Huanuco, I waa pleased to have an op- 
portunity of interviewing two of the leading aettlers 
in the German colony. Perhaps it would bo better to 
give the arswers elicited to questions, 
Mr. Luis Egg said; — 
■' The German setUement ia made up of 80 to 95 
families, or numbering 600 people. The colony ia 
situated at the junction of the Poznzu and Hnanoa- 
bamba rivers, and is known se the Colony Alemana. 
" Tho Colony is fifty miles 8. E. of Huaniico and 
ia rearhed by a very bad road or path. The district 
is at about 1,500 feet to 2,500 feet elevation. There 
is 110 forest land between Huanuco and tho Settle- 
ment until about five miles distant from the Colony. 
The chief cultivations are coffee, cocoa and siigar-caoc, 
with a little cacao.* The labour (chiefly Ohola Indians) 
is Bcorce; payment is made at the rate of 30 cents 
of a sol per day, with a supply of coca. There Is 
ample land available between the Mayro and Poluzo 
rivers for colonization, which territory is about 1,500 
feet elev.t'on. 
“ There is a distanco of ten leagues or thirty miles 
between the jnnotion of tho Pozuzo with tho Pal- 
cazu to tho river Psohitea. There is a general desire 
to have an outlet by the Paloazu and not by way of 
Huanuco. 
“There is about 1,000 cwt. of coffee sent from the 
district tu Huanuco by mule, besides tobacco, cocoa, 
and maize. Wo would be quite content if we had 
an nutlet, schools, and a market for tho produce, 
which could be considerably ieoreasod if required. The 
local market is supplied with rice, while the cultivation 
could bo considerably increaaed if a market were found.” 
On the return journey after leaving Hnanuco, Oerro 
do Pasoo wns reached, whence a road leading west of 
the Junin Lake or laguno was taken. 
On reaching the .mail village of Banios (13,800 feet) 
a remarkable hot spring was nnticed, the water of 
which wns clear, and registered a temperature of 129* 
Fnlir., aud was a reputed cure for all skin diseases. 
Prom a sample of the water taken to England, I now 
embody an analysis by Alessrs. Savory and Moore, 143, 
New Bond Street, London. 
“ London, November 19th, 1891,' 
‘‘ ... No arsenic or other poisonous metals wore 
found. 
The most was made of the very small quantity of 
water at our disposal, and ihe following oomponent 
parts were determined ; — 
Calcium (parts per million) 847 6 
Magnesium 74‘3 
Chlorine 
Sulphario Acid 1484'0 
Nitrogen (as Nitrates) ••• I'Q 
Sodium present, quantity not determined 
Silica 
Carbonic Acid 
Total solid 4075 0 
Total hardness egrees per gal. Clark's scale 77 0 
* Ho in original ; but either “ cocoa ” or 
should be " coca.”— E d, T, 4. 
eaoa" 
