June i, 1892 .] 
THP tropical agriculturist, 
88g 
of coffee an() cacao; au4 wbf-u planting is decided 
upon tins will probabl]? form the first scene of ope* 
rations. From this point onwards to tbo Cascades ’’ 
the onrrent of the river averages about font miles per 
hour. On either side the forest increases m density 
and cnntiiiui '8 equally dt to produce iuezhaustible sup* 
plies of cocoa^ coffa canela and ritbbtr. Maiiy of the gum 
trees such »8 ^ra 6 ica— the produce of which is 
becoming fo scare e~wouId also find here a congenial 
home. Our balsas (rafts) now began to glide more 
rapidly onwards ; indeed, we came tipon the Cascades 
—more properly ropids — rather unexpectedly, and bed 
suddenly to call a halt, which we etfeoted with some 
difficulty. None of our so.cailed guidrs baving ev<r 
been here before, they were as much taken by surprise 
as ourselves. 
Our aneroid** registered 1,050 feet above sea level, 
ard the distance from the mouth fo the Kneno, from 
which we storied, we estimated to be about 40 miles. 
All around these rapids we found the s land forest to 
partake much of the same obaracteristics as for the 
lait ten miles, only that now both sides of the river 
seemed to bo equally good. 
Perhaps the one groat advantage possessed by this 
land in the P 6 r^ne Valley is the fact that it lies within 
roasonablo disinnoe of either outlet. Ohanohsmajo, 
Vitoc, or lluanacayo, may bo conveniently situated 
for the Oroia railway, bat in tho ca>e of a temporary 
breakdown would be comparatively helpless. Laud 
nearer to ihe Ucayali, on the other hand, would not for 
many years to come participate in the undoubto 1 ad* 
vantages of railway communication and if planting h to 
be donoou a l;<rge scale— as, if done at al), ft ought to 
be — the qaesn’ou of a double ontlet ouuht to be sertouKly 
wrighed. liitberlo this, the greatest reserve in the 
world, has been merely sending samples of its indi- 
genous priduoU. It is now high time that planlirg 
onterpriflo should be undertaken methodically, and on 
purely oommeroial principles. 
PLANTING, PAST AND PRESKNT- 
If one is to judge from the princ'pal planting dis- 
trict— Ohai.charanyo — there has really never at any 
time, been tiie remotest approach to me thodical Oofleo 
planting in Peru. The Iau«i. a mere friugt« aiimg the 
river side, had b^-en selected without much discrimi. 
nation, some 20 yearn ago. and planted in the first 
place with indigo, which grew well, and is still a 
thriving wood ; but the proprielora not having taken 
tbo prooaution to procure managers acquainted with 
the preparation of the article, the enterprise ooliapeed. 
Uofft’o was next tried under similar couditi' ns, 
and the plants seom to have thriven as they 
seldom thnvo in tho East, even with greater care; 
bat nia<tjmcub hh tho bean was not prepared in a way 
puited for theEufopeaii market^, and tho local prices 
were not suiliuient to repay production and trans- 
port, this too had to be abandoned. Only a few 
scattered patches now roraaiu, sufficient, however, to 
show the oupabilitipR of the roil aud climate. The 
crop we saw on many of these uociiUivated ir^os 
would not be estimated by any competont oollee 
planter at less than 20 cwts. per acre. And yet tho 
export from tbo whole district is iusiguific mi — vari- 
ously ostimated as from 1,500 cwts. to 2,000 wts.— 
a quantity which might be produced by 200 acres 
properly cultivated. 
Sugir-Cftiie now absorbs the attention of the 
pi inter hero, although not an cunce of sugar is 
manufactured, the local demand for rum being 
such as to exceed tbo present possibilities of 
supply. It may be conceded, that no previous 
venture ever paid the Chanchamayo planters so 
Wvll; but the effect of the product upon the 
natives may well be imagined, and can scarcely 
fail to be di**a«trot)s upon tho local labour supply. 
Tho district of Jluuuitco — so famous for the quality 
of its coffee -was a disappointment to u», tho extant 
under this crop being quite insignificant ; and all the 
land around tho township ivas said to bo in private 
bands. On some of the principal haciendas, the 
extent in coffee is only from 2 to 3 acres, which, 
thougli bearing enormous crops, gives a total export 
of under l.-'iiKicwt. IJnliko (3hanchiiiayo, every plant 
liaa to tio UTigated here; wid it may be reiparkud 
that, with irrigation, coffee could bo grown almost 
anywhere in Pern, under 7,500 feet of altitiido. In 
tho neighbourhood of Lima, for instance, we have 
seen coffee growing, with no particular caro but 
with a sufficiont supply of water, bearing as heavily 
and looking as healthy as the best wo ever saw any 
where, and some of tho finest samples wo have seen 
came from the west aide of tlio Andes, about 100 
miles north east of Salaverry, 
The. hhiiiai' Ketutes on the coast, particularly in the 
valleys of (ViiVama and Chiclayo ore exceedingly well 
cultivated, and oven at roceut low prices leave an 
ample marking of profit. Some admirably managed 
properties wo have the host authority for atatnig, 
yielded an annual net profit of over l' 20,000 during 
the past three years ; and this grand industry might 
be extended indefinitely fox hundreds of miles along 
the seaboard of Peru. 
■ruANtPOKT AND ODTLKT. 
The mean, of Irsnsport from the Isinis allotted to 
the Corporstion are in course of being mado easy; 
and though olijection may bo taken to the cost of 
transport as compiired with that prevailing el..enherc, 
the difference need he no barrier to a close and suc- 
cessful Competition with bettor known countrips, whose 
iutsiests it may aff. ot. 
Apart from this, Peru offers tho advantage of a large 
local demand c' rtain to increase, proximity to North 
sod South American centres of trade, and faoilities 
of transport thithor i ai d there are in ad litiop the 
usual Enroposn and Asiatic markets, to which vossela 
t ading to these mark, ts would neceuarily carry its 
products. 
Whatever may be the requirements of tho Pererd 
Valley in fntiire years, when transport will be 
neoessary for millions of cwts. annually, there can 
be no doubt that for present purposes a light rail- 
way to Oroya would be most suitable, though for 
futnro exigencies it would only bo oourting misfortune 
to liave such au important district confined to one 
outlet. 
The cost of extondiug the railway would he com- 
paratively little ; tho present road from Tarma to 
Obaurhsiuayo might be largely utilized for the 
purpose, and from thence, throngh an undulating 
country with abundance of timber, 30 uiilss of rail 
would not bo a serious undertaking. Tbo railway 
would also tap such labour supplies as the ooDutrr 
affords. 
The other, or alternative outlet, via tho Amaxoa, 
misbt be effootually aeonrod by biasi ng the rooks 
in tho rapida or cutting around them a road, the 
highest estimate of which docs not excoed a length 
of 12 miles. With those two ontleta the district 
would only be sufticieutly supplied ; for while it would 
be exceedingly inconvenient to be cut off from the 
capital of the ocuntry and the means of drawing 
supplies from the Pnoifio side, it would at (be same 
time bo liaxardous to be entirely depeudout upon one 
thread of railway. 
At tresent, rates of transport by means of 
pack animals are prohibitory. But with the ex- 
tension of the railway to Oroya within a feyy 
nionths, tho speedy completion of the road from 
Tarma to Chanchamayo, aud tho substifation of roada 
nt easy gradients for those now nsed hetwoen 
Oroya and Tarma (a distance of about 20 miles), Ija 
Merced and Port Wortheman (about 12 miles), all 
what wo indicate can be accomplished. 
i.ABotni. 
Of tho gratest importance to the future of Peru is 
the speedy, ample and snoceaaful introduction ot 
labour from ditaiit countries. 
'I'lto Chola inhabitants of the hills, and tho mixed 
Indians of tho towns and villages, who witli the 
Chinese on the coast haciendas, at present con- 
stitute the supply, are insufficient of the wants which 
any extension of agricultural industry would create. 
Tho former, living as they do within reacli of thoir 
homes, cannot bo depended upon for the efficient 
and economical working of plantations. Advances are 
made to tliom, amounting to their pay for periods 
of thiee months. Those advanoos they work off after 
which they arc free to, aud often do, leave fot 
