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.

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.

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.

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.

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.