Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 15.djvu/380

PABAGUAY. Fauna. Among the wild animals are the jaguar, the most formidable of the earuivora, the American lion or puma (which, however, is far more common in Argentina ), the tiger cat, the marten, polecat, tapir, peeeaiy, and deer. Saurians swarm throughout the country. The alligator of the Parana is strong and large, but not so tierce as that of the Amazon. Though the venomous snakes include the rattlesnake, viper, and cobra, few cases of snake-bite occur, largely because of the great caution of the Paraguayans. The boas are enormous, but singularly inofi'en- sive. Paraguay can boast of some of the most beautiful birds in the world. No family is un- represented, from the enormous wading birds to the tiniest of humming-birds. In the wilderness flies, gnats, and other pests are very annoying, but, strange to say, they give little trouble in the cultivated districts.

Geology. Broadly speaking, limestones pre- dominate in Northern Paraguay as far south as latitude 22° S., while sandstones prevail in most of the hilly regions of the south, the plains being formed of argillaceous beds and sandy stones be- longing to the Tertiary epoch. In some dis- tricts volcano cones are seen. The hills and ridges are due to great dislocation of the rocks occurring long before the mighty upheaval of the Andean Cordilleras; but the present eleva- tions are onlj' the ruins of former lofty sum- mits which have been degraded by long denuda- tion. Little use is yet made of the mineral re- sources, though iron ore is widely distributed, marble is abundant in the north, and copper and other valuable minerals are found. Agrutltcke. The soil in Paraguay is gen- erally good. Farming is the chief pursuit, but •is in a very backward condition. Only about 300.000 acres are under cultivation, chiclly along the rivers, where transportation is easy. Owing to the fact that the State owns the public lands and for a long period sold large areas to capitalists and syndicates, the price of the lands most favorably situated for farming or stock- raising was high, and this helped to retard the development of agriculture. Large tracts of counti'V also have Ijeen assigned to the holders of Paraguayan bonds as security for the national debt, and many a peasant pays rent to foreign owners of land. The most important crop is mat^, whose withered leaves are used as tea, the beverage being very popular in Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, and some other South Ameri- can countries. The decoction appears to act both as a stimulant and also, by retarding diges- tion, as a substitute for food. Half of the crop is consumed at home. The crop is gathered from the wild shrub in the forests or from the cultivated plant, and though the adjacent districts of Brazil also produce it, that of Para- guay is superior in quality. The native orange trees yield an enormous crop. Almost every house has its orange grove. Hogs are fattened on oranges, and immense quantities are exported. Maize, the great cereal crop, is the staple food. Wheat, rice, and other cereals are raised, but not in sufficient quantities to supply the home de- mand. Tobacco is a large crop, and is con- sumed in enormous quantities, but has been so poorly cured that it is only just beginning to be important in exports. Among other vege- table products are sugar-cane, coffee, cotton, and ramie. Stock-breeding has not yet attained its proper development. Tlic grasses are of superior quality. The number of cattle is now rapidly niereasing. Good grazing lands are abundant in Eastern Paraguay, and branches are being opened by cattle men on the plains of the Gran C'haco. In 1900 it was estimated that the cattle num- bered 2,743,fiU.5; horses, 182,790; mules and asses, 762ti; sheep, 214,00; goats, 32,.3.34; and hogs, 23,900. The cattle are used chiellv for meat (including jerked beef), and .for hides, which are a large export. As in all Spanish countries, butter is scarcely known, but butter and cheese are now produced by foreign immi- grants for their own consumption. Among the numerous forest products the quebracho colnrado, now found only on the C'haco, is most important. It contains nearly 30 per cent, of tannin and is used chiefly for tanning, but also for railroad ties and other purposes. Large quantities of the wood are exported to Germany, and the tannin is also locally extracted. The export of forest products for Europe and other parts of the world is increasing, though the difficulty of carrying them to the Paraguay and Parana rivers' for shipment is still great. Paraguayan woods for piles in the harbor works of Argentina and Uru- guay and for railroad ties are in large demand. Maxufactlres. The country has made little advance in general industries. In 1899 308 dis- tilleries were making spirits from sugar-cane juice, 3 sugar factories were producing an inferior grade of sugar for home consumption, and 73 kilns were turning out brick and other clay products. Other manufacturing industries are tanning, and furniture and cigar making. There were in 1899 35 wood yards, 30 bakeries, 26 blacksmith shops, soap works, etc. Many of the Indians, under the tuition of the Jesuits, have become skilled in various trades. Commerce. The following table shows the value of the imports and exports in gold dollars at Asuncion, the capital and chief town: Imports Exports $2,608,487 2.463.294 $2,147,838 2.021,023 $1,838,710 2.064.290 $3,003,058 2,529.307 As all the people dress in cotton fabrics, these textiles are the principal foreign purchases, be- ing followed by wine and rice. About half the imports come from Great Britain and 8.) per cent, of the foreign purchases are textiles. The chief exports in 1901 (gold value) were: mats, $774,090; hides, .$75r,.348: tobacco. .?1 93.845; timber, oranges, and hair. Other exports include leather, manioc, and ostrich feathers. TRAN.SPORTATION A.Nn COMMUNICATIOXS. Four fairly good roads lead from .suncion to various parts of the country. With these exceptions there are scarcely any roads, and land transportation is difficult and costly. A number of the tribu- taries of the Paran:i and Paraguay are impor- tant in the transportation of forest products to those rivers, but the stage of water in them is often too low for navigation. Thus it is very difficult at times to deliver a part of the mate crop at the large rivers for shipment. In 1896 the Great Southern Bailroad of Argentina pur- chased ties in Australia because Paraguay, with its enormous quantities of timber adapted for that purpose, could not ship the supply needed in the stipulated time. The traffic of the country