THE COTTON FIELDS OF PIURA
[Illustration: A COTTON PLANT ON A PIURA PLANTATION.]
When Pizarro chose the valley of Piura as the site on which to found the
first Spanish city in Peru, he was especially attracted by its fertility
and the abundance of water that supplied its flourishing farms and
gardens. Agriculture was highly developed by the ancient inhabitants of
this region, and cotton, which is the staple product of Piura to-day,
was grown in the coast valleys centuries before the Spaniards visited
these shores. Cotton materials have been found in the tombs of the
people who ruled throughout this part of Peru before the Incas gained
ascendancy, and the use of the product seems to have been known here
from time immemorial. No doubt Pizarro and his followers passed through
fields of cotton on their way from Tumbes to Piura, as the Conqueror
gave an enthusiastic report of the prosperous farming communities seen
during his march.
The founding of Piura preceded that of Lima by three years, and in
recognition of its having been the first Spanish city in Peru, the
sovereigns conferred on it the distinction of a coat-of-arms before that
honor was bestowed on Quito. During the colonial period, Piura grew to
be a centre of industrial activity, and under the republic it has become
the flourishing capital of one of the richest departments of the coast.
The city has several churches, good schools, and charitable
institutions. Its citizens are progressive and are interested in the
advancement of education and the improvement of material conditions. The
Department of Piura, which shares with that of La Libertad the honors
due to a patriotic and courageous people, was made an independent
Littoral Province in 1837, and a department in 1861. Through the varying
experiences of the republic, this department has borne an honorable
share of the burdens and the triumphs, and some of the most
distinguished men of Peru have learned their earliest lessons in
patriotism under the training of its worthy matrons. The immortal hero,
Admiral Grau, was born in Piura; and after this revered name follow
those of statesmen and men of letters who rank with the best in their
country.
[Illustration: A BUSY THOROUGHFARE OF CATACAOS.]
The Department of Piura lies in the extreme north of the coast region,
separated from the gulf of Guayaquil by the Littoral Province of Tumbes.
It is divided into the coast provinces of Paita and Piura and the
interior provinces of Ayabaca and Huancabamba. Paita is drained by the
Chira River, which rises in the Cordilleras and crosses the southern
districts of the province, fertilizing some of the most extensive
plantations of northern Peru. The Piura River traverses the province of
the same name, and in its winding course,—first northwestward, and then
south and southwest,—it supplies irrigation to all the west and north of
Piura province. The river is crossed by several bridges, the most
important being that of the capital, a handsome iron structure. In the
region fertilized by these two rivers are grown some of the finest
qualities of cotton to be found on the globe, the “Peruvian” ranking
next to the famous “Sea Island” in the European market. The territory
under irrigation extends westward from the seaport of Paita along the
northern bank of the Chira River to the foot of the Cordilleras, and
from the port of Sechura to Piura, in the valley of the Piura
River,—though the Piura valley is irrigated at intervals throughout its
whole length. According to scientific authorities who have reported
officially on the possibility of increasing the extent of cultivable
territory on the coast, this fertile zone does not represent half the
area of irrigable lands in the vicinity of these rivers; nor does it
yield all the harvest that might be gathered if it were entirely under
tillage.
The scarcity of laborers and the need of more capital in Piura, as
elsewhere in Peru, has caused much land to remain idle which is capable
of producing great wealth. But, as a noted authority on this industry,
Señor Victor Marie, says in his book, _Cotton Production in Peru_, there
is no reason why the laborers of the sierra should not be induced to
come to the coast, and, by kind treatment and judicious training, be
employed to serve the interests of its agriculture better than imported
labor. Señor Marie adds: “How much the country would gain by the
instruction and education of these strong sons of the sierra, a robust,
docile and laborious race, who need only to be well organized, and
guarded against the evils of alcoholism!” It is suggested that, if given
homes, with a little piece of land to cultivate as their own, and gently
treated, many families would gladly abandon their mountain farms for the
milder climate and more certain abundance of the coast. At present, the
laborers from the sierra who are employed on the haciendas of the coast,
work during only a part of the year, going back to the mountains as soon
as the harvest is gathered. They cannot be counted on to return every
season, nor is it at all certain how long they will remain. But, in
opposition to Señor Marie’s suggestion, it might be urged: “Why take the
mountaineer from his native soil, which is capable of cultivation far
beyond what it yields at present and is the favored zone for such
products as potatoes, maize, wheat, barley, and other cereals?” The
adoption of means toward better organization and the reduction of
alcoholism in the sierra, such as is recommended for the coast, might
result in the improvement of agricultural development in these mountain
districts, a consequence equally important to the country.
The richest cotton-growing region of Peru lies in the vicinity of
Sechura and Catacaos on the Piura River, and in the lower valley of the
Chira, where the lands have been formed by alluvial deposits and were
formerly covered with forests of mesquite, called _algarrobas_. Here the
Peruvian cotton attains its finest development and is so easily produced
that good lands require to be irrigated only once a season to ensure a
bountiful harvest. Sowing is a simple process which consists in dropping
the seed into holes ten or fifteen feet apart. It is not necessary to
plough the ground, and irrigation ditches carry from the Chira and Piura
Rivers all the water required for fertilization. In the spaces between
the cotton plants are grown melons, pumpkins, and the indispensable
maize. The first harvest appears eight months after the seed is sown,
though it is usually small, seldom amounting to more than four hundred
pounds to the acre. The production increases each year following, up to
the fifth or sixth year, when the crop reaches an average of more than
half a ton to the acre. On the plantations of Mancora and in the
beautiful chacaras of Monte Viejo, Los Dos Altos, Cumbivira, Chato, Casa
Grande, Monte Negro, and others, the Peruvian cotton grows to
perfection. In the valley of the Chira, where there is the greatest
abundance of water and the only problem presented to the cotton-grower
is how to make the best use of it for irrigation, the future of this
industry offers brilliant prospects. Within the past few years its
cultivable lands have been greatly increased, especially in the
_campiñas_ of Sullana and Querecotillo, and on the San Francisco,
Chocán, Mallares, Saman and other haciendas.
[Illustration: ALGARROBA TREES ON A PIURA PLANTATION.]
Much of the material that is sold in foreign markets as pure woollen is
made of Peruvian cotton, which is of a very rough fibre measuring from
one to two inches in length. On the plantations near the coast the
cotton is rougher than in the interior, and is called in English markets
Full Rough Peruvian, the most valuable of all the native fibres. When
carded it looks so much like wool that only an expert can tell the
difference; and after being woven into cloth, the distinction between
the two products can hardly be determined, except by chemical analysis.
For this reason Peruvian cotton has been called “vegetable wool,” and
has been used in the manufacture of materials to serve the same purpose
as the real wool.
The native cotton plant is a hardy shrub which, if allowed to reach its
full height, grows to from ten to fourteen feet, though the planter
usually prunes it down so that it does not exceed six or seven feet in
height. The Peruvian cotton plant will live twenty years, and will bear
its harvest crop after four or five years’ growth. It is the custom,
however, to sow fresh seed every three or four years, as, when the plant
becomes old, its harvest grows lighter each year and it is liable to
“blight,” or to the attacks of parasites. The cotton fields of Piura are
generally free from the ravages of insects, the only annoyance of this
kind being a visitation of the _arrebiatado_, an insect which appears
chiefly in the rainy season. As rain falls only once or twice in a dozen
years, this evil is a minor one. Besides, the _arrebiatado_ does not
attack all varieties, the Egyptian, or Upland, as it is known in the
United States, being free from its onslaughts.
The cotton-pickers on Piura plantations find occupation at all seasons
of the year, though two principal harvests are gathered, those of St.
John’s Day and Christmas; the former lasts from June to October and the
latter from December to March. Men, women, and children may be seen in
the cotton fields filling their sacks in the shade of the bush, which at
harvest time is thick with leaves and tall enough to afford abundant
shelter. Here and there are groups enjoying a little gossip as they pass
one another on their way to and from the field. At the various stations
along the railway, the scene is not unlike that which is met with
wherever the cotton plant flourishes. The pickers of these valleys are
less joyous and garrulous than are the negroes of a Mississippi or
Georgia plantation,—the melodies of Dixie are more musical than the
_tristes_ of these less volatile laborers,—but there is always the charm
of tropical skies and luxuriant nature to brighten their faces with a
smile of good-humored content.
[Illustration: IRON BRIDGE OVER THE PIURA RIVER.]
When the cotton is ready for market, it is loaded on donkeys and sent to
the nearest railway station to be shipped. As the donkey’s load must not
exceed three hundred and sixty pounds, it is customary to have the
cotton put up in bales of from one hundred and sixty to one hundred and
eighty pounds, two bales being a full load for one of these carriers. In
Piura, Sechura, Catacaos, and in various towns of the Chira valley, the
large importing houses of Peru have purchasing agencies, and these
establishments are equipped with cotton gins and presses for cleansing
the fibre and preparing it for transportation. The cotton seed is nearly
all exported to Europe, where it is sold for five or six pounds sterling
per ton. The prices of cotton vary according to the harvest, and to the
prices current in the world’s market, though the cotton of the Piura
valley is sold always for upward of eight cents, gold, per pound. The
price has risen considerably within recent years and continues to
advance, as the product gains in favor in the markets abroad, especially
in New York, where Peruvian cotton is constantly growing in demand.
[Illustration: THE MARKET PLACE AT CATACAOS.]
Although the native cotton commands the highest price, and is cultivated
with least labor on the plantations of Piura, yet the Egyptian variety
also yields good returns for the capital and labor invested, and its
culture constitutes an important source of revenue to the state. The
Egyptian grows to a height of about four feet and under favorable
conditions lives three or four years. It has an abundant foliage, with
blossoms that deepen from a pale yellow to red as they grow into full
bloom. The cotton boll is formed of five carpels, or leaves, and the
fruit, when it bursts forth from this enclosure, is white and smooth, in
contrast to the Peruvian, which is of a pink color, and, as already
stated, extremely rough. The culture of Egyptian cotton has increased in
favor within recent years, in consequence of the advanced prices in
foreign markets. In Mallares and Saman, especially, this variety is
produced with important results. One of the advantages which it enjoys
is freedom from the “blight,” which at times invades other varieties,
and the fact that the _arrebiatado_ does not attack it. Also, the
Egyptian yields a harvest six months after planting, so that it is
comparatively easy to secure credit for the outlays necessary to produce
the crop. In the cultivation of this variety, it is necessary to
irrigate the land several times during the season, but it flourishes
with little labor, and is easily harvested.
A railway, sixty miles in length, connects the cotton-growing centres
with the chief seaport of the department, Paita, where all the vessels
engaged in trade on the west coast of South America make regular calls.
The harbor is visited several times a week by passenger and cargo
steamers of English, North American, German, and South American lines
and by sailing ships flying the flags of all nations. Here the cotton
bales are transferred from the freight car to the ship’s hold to be
carried to foreign ports; and Paita presents an animated scene while the
cargo is being loaded. The railway extends from the port northward till
it reaches the Chira valley, which it ascends as far as Sullana, an
important cotton market, after which it turns southward, following the
valley of the Piura to the state capital and, five miles beyond, to
Catacaos, in the heart of the cotton region. Along its route are many
thriving towns and villages, which owe their existence chiefly to the
cotton industry, though this is by no means the only important product
of the department.
Panamá hats—which are not made in Panamá at all, and which, in Ecuador
and Peru, where this industry flourishes, are called _jipi-japa_
(pronounced “hippy-happa”), from the name of the fibre used in their
manufacture—are made in Catacaos. The finest hats are woven with great
care, the fibre being kept under water during the process and never
exposed to the sun until the hat is finished. On all the passenger
steamers that call at Paita, venders of these hats may be seen
bargaining with travellers, and the sales amount to large sums, as the
most ordinary Panamá hat, when purchased from the weavers themselves,
costs at least a pound sterling. The imitation of this article has been
so successfully manufactured that the trade is greatly injured thereby,
though it is said, on the other hand, that the genuine _jipi-japa_ is
increasing in value, owing to its scarcity on the market.
Like other coast departments, Piura extends inland to the valleys of the
Amazon headwaters, and includes in its territory not only the cotton
fields of the coast, but the mines of the sierra, the pastures of the
uplands, and the coffee, tobacco, and sugar-cane of the Montaña. The
province of Ayabaca has gold mines, forests in which the valuable
Peruvian bark is found, pastures for cattle and sheep, and plantations
of coffee and sugar-cane. In the district of Frias, every town is a rose
garden, and bee-keeping is a flourishing industry. Huancabamba is a rich
field for cattle-raising, and is especially noted for the superior wool
of its sheep, the fleece of which is black, long, and of silky texture.
In its lower valleys are cultivated tobacco, coffee, and sugar-cane. In
the provinces of Paita and Piura are vast saline fields, beds of
saltpetre, pitch deposits, and important petroleum wells.
With the completion of the proposed railway from Paita to the head of
navigation on the Marañon, by which communication will be established
between the extensive region of the Montaña and the Pacific coast, this
department will become one of the most important highways of traffic in
the republic. With its abundant resources and healthful climate, there
is every reason to expect great development in wealth and population. At
present the population of Piura, which covers a territory of about
fifteen thousand square miles, is a little more than two hundred
thousand.
[Illustration: A “BALSA” LOADED WITH FREIGHT, PAITA.]