From Lima southward, the coast valleys resemble those of Southern California, though no idea of their beauty and fertility is to be gained from a view of the coast line, which here stretches along in the same monotonous series of sandhills and barren cliffs that mark its length all the way from Guayaquil to Valparaiso, with only a few green spots, as at Callao and Arica, to brighten its sombre aspect. Travellers find it hard to believe that abundance and fertility belong to a region apparently so little favored, but, to be convinced, it is necessary only to disembark at one of the ports in the vicinity of these valleys and to make a half-hour’s trip into the interior by railway. At some of the ports, the green vineyards and gardens run so close to the shore that only a narrow strip of sand lies between. This desert strip once crossed, the scene is changed completely, and nature appears radiant and smiling in the midst of winding streams and verdant fields.

The vineyards of Peru are still in the early stages of development, though wine-growing has been an industry of the country for centuries, the first cuttings having been introduced as early as 1557 by Carabantes, when experiments were made in viticulture in several districts of the coast. The valleys and hillsides of Ica and Moquegua were found to be especially adapted for this industry, though the vineyards of Lima, Arequipa and Tacna also yield good harvests. Wine-growing has received more attention within recent years than formerly, and the results are apparent in the increased quantity and improved quality of the production. In the Department of Ica, the most promising vineyards are located in the vicinity of the capital and in the campiña around Chincha Alta, near the port of Tambo de Mora, about a hundred miles south of Callao.

Ica was formerly a province of the Department of Lima, and was made independent in 1855, being raised to the dignity of a department in 1868. It comprises the three provinces of Ica, Pisco, and Chincha, all of which border on the Pacific Ocean and are almost entirely within the coast zone, with the exception of the province of Ica, that extends to the region of the sierra on the border of Ayacucho and Huancavelica. This department, like all the others of the coast, has a large area of uncultivated land which is irrigable and should be immensely productive. Four rivers cross the department,—the Chincha, Pisco, Ica and Grande,—each receiving a number of tributaries, with a water supply sufficient to fertilize all their valleys, if scientifically controlled and utilized. The ancient inhabitants knew how to irrigate these lands, and the ruins of their aqueducts may still be seen in various districts. On the Pisco River, about thirty miles from its mouth, a waterfall occurs, which could easily supply a hundred thousand horse-power for engineering purposes. A few miles from the city of Ica, the capital of the department, are situated the lakes of Huacachina and Cachiche, famous for their therapeutic properties. Huacachina is a favorite resort for invalids, the mild climate and picturesque locality contributing to make it popular, while the curative effects of its waters, strongly impregnated with iodine, are remarkable. The city of Ica, having a population of about ten thousand, lies in the centre of a large and fertile valley and in the midst of flourishing vineyards and cotton plantations.

The cultivated area of the Ica valley is estimated at forty thousand acres, of which one-fifth is covered with vineyards. The wine-growing district extends along the valley from Huamani, about twenty miles north of the capital, to Ocucaje, thirty miles to the south. Ica is the paradise of the farmer of small means, there being few large haciendas in the valley, with the exception of those of Ocucaje, comprising six thousand acres, and Macacona, with about four thousand acres. Many vineyards cover no more than about ten or fifteen acres, and, as a rule, the haciendas comprise only from one hundred to two hundred acres. Each hacienda has its vineyard, though, at the same time, a part of the land is devoted to the cultivation of cotton, maize, and tropical fruits, such as chirimoyas (custard apples), mangoes, plantains, melons, paltas (alligator pears), and figs; on these plantations are also cultivated vegetables of various kinds,—squash, camotes (a kind of potato), yucca, cucumbers, etc.,—and on the uplands grow alfalfa, aji (a kind of pepper), and wheat.

The principal varieties of grapes cultivated in the vineyards of Ica are the Quebranta, Moscatel, Negra, and Moyar, for red wines; and the Albilla and Italia, white varieties; though there is also a pink Italia grape, of rich flavor, a delicious table fruit. The Italia produces a liqueur of fine quality; and Peruvian “Pisco” is well known throughout the west coast of South America, its name being derived from the port at which the earliest shipments were made. The Moscatel is used in the manufacture of a very palatable Sauterne, and the Negra produces a good claret. The most prolific vines are those of the Quebranta variety, the grapes of which are rich in sugar; this vine is grown in nearly all the vineyards of Peru. Ica is connected with the seaport of Pisco by railway, the line extending for forty miles, in a northwesterly direction, across the Pampa of Chuncanga. As the train enters this sandy plain an hour after leaving the capital, there is little to charm the traveller in the monotonous view; but the country to the north of Pisco, between that port and Chincha Alta, fifteen miles distant, presents a different aspect, showing fields of sugar-cane and flourishing vineyards.

The principal estates of the Chincha valley are situated within a few miles of the port of Tambo de Mora, which is connected with Chincha Alta by a railway seven miles in length. This region, enclosing one of the most prosperous industrial centres of Peru, is drained by the Chincha River, a short, broad stream that has its source in the sierra of Huancavelica, receiving only a few tributaries as it crosses the province to the sea, where it divides and forms a delta; in this low-lying district are the towns of Chincha Alta, Chincha Baja, Suñampe, and Tambo de Mora, as well as the extensive haciendas of Larán (nine thousand acres), San José, San Regis, El Carmen, Hoja Redonda, and Lurin Chincha. Irrigating ditches, or acequias, have been constructed to convey water from the river through all these estates, the distribution being made under the direction of a water inspector employed by the government. In addition to the acequias, every plantation has its wells, which furnish plenty of water, even in the dryest seasons. Chincha Alta has the most extensive and best equipped wine-growing establishments in Peru. Modern methods are employed in cultivating the grapes as well as in the pressing, fermentation, and other details connected with the wine-making process. The cuttings are planted in September, in holes about three feet deep and eight feet apart, one shoot being placed in each; during the first two or three years, the young vine is supported on stakes of wild cane, then square columns of adobe, about four feet high, are put up at intervals, to serve as supports for trellises built of Guayaquil bamboo and willow, over which the vines spread in rich profusion. Within ten or twelve years the whole space is covered, forming a dense bower. The average harvest of grapes in this country gives nine hundred gallons of wine to the acre, but in prosperous years the yield is much heavier.

It was not until about thirty years ago that the manufacture of wine was undertaken in Peru according to European methods. Up to that time every wine-grower had his own little establishment, with a primitive wine press, etc., and kept his jugs of wine in small cellars built for the purpose. A few of these bodegas remain at the present time, but their number grows less and less as the larger establishments buy up the product of the small vineyards at a better price than the owner can get by making the wine himself. The largest wine bodega in Peru is located in Chincha; it produces about four hundred thousand gallons annually. The total output of the province far exceeds that of any other wine district in the republic, Pisco coming second and Moquegua third. The entire yield of Peruvian vineyards is estimated at seven million gallons of wine and three hundred thousand gallons of spirits.

Pisco, the chief seaport of the Department of Ica and one of the most important of the southern coast, exports not only the wine and other products of its own department, but is the outlet for the neighboring states of Huancavelica and Ayacucho. It is one of the oldest ports of Peru, having been founded in the seventeenth century. The annual exports from Pisco amount in value to a million dollars gold, and its imports to half that amount, though the wines of Ica do not represent the largest share of the revenue of the port, appearing as the minor articles of commerce.

Although the vineyards of Moquegua have not been cultivated so extensively as those of Chincha and Ica, its olive groves rival the best of other sections, and all kinds of fruits grow in its orchards and fields. The olives of Moquegua are particularly remarkable for their size, richness, and quality, equalling the best varieties produced in Seville and California. This fruit was first imported into Peru from Seville, Spain, during the time of the viceroyalty, and became perfectly acclimatized, producing a better olive in its new home than in the parent orchard, though the cultivation was neglected in consequence of the repeated gold, silver, and copper “finds” that absorbed the attention of the people in those days; and it is only within recent years that the industry has assumed importance. In the coast province of Camaná, Department of Arequipa, and in Ilo and Moquegua, the olive groves extend over many acres; and, although the industry is still in its infancy and only the most primitive methods are used in the elaboration of the fruit, the yield is thirty per cent of pure oil. At present, the production of olives does not amount to sufficient for the home market, and very little is exported.

A favorite diversion of passengers on the steamers making the voyage along the west coast of South America is to watch the loading of the ships in the various ports. At some of these ports baskets of dried figs and dates are brought on board by the local venders; but, though this is a promising trade, it is still in a primitive stage of development. The province of Ica has a few establishments where dried fruits and jams are prepared, and every year shows an improvement in the industry.