The Tonka Bean, a black almond with delicious perfume, is the fruit of the serrapia tree. The beans are used in the preparation of chewing tobacco and in making perfumes. The price varies from 50 cents to $5 a pound. This is a staple of great value in the Orinoco forests, but many gatherers die of fever or starve. A few concessions have been granted for the cultivation of tonka trees, in the public lands of the Caura district. In one year over $700,000 worth of the beans were exported.
Chicle, used to make chewing gum, comes from the sap of a tree called pendare which has a delicious fruit, sapodilla. The tree may be tapped continuously 8-15 years. The sap is boiled in the forest.
The Caoba or mahogany tree grows from sea level to about 3000 feet. It may be seen along the streets of Valencia. It grows to a height of 130 feet with a diameter of four feet at the base. It is exported to Europe and to the United States.
The Moriche Palm grows in clumps on the llanos. From the sap the Indians make wine, vinegar, oil, soap, starch; and from the leaves, hats, clothes, hammocks, baskets, mats, etc.
Fibre plants of superior quality exist in great variety and quantity. Among these are the cocuiza sisal called equal or superior to the sisal (hemp) of Yucatan; ramie, jipijapa, flax, and other varieties.
Plants for making paper grow in profusion, desirable for use rather than wood to save the destruction of forests. The most abundant and desirable is bamboo, but many other plants are serviceable including the residue from sugar cane. The by-product of three tons of sugar would be roughly two tons of fibre, worth about $120. Bitter cane and other rushes might be so used, either exported as pulp, or in some localities made into paper.
Cattle Industry
Goats have been spoken of as raised with great profit on the well adapted lands near Barquisimeto, comparatively high, and on lowlands in the regions of Coro and Maracaibo.
Cattle. The cattle industry has still greater possibilities. The pastoral zone extends from Barrancas to Colombia and from the Vichada River to the mountains in Carabobo. While a portion of the llanos like those in Colombia suffers from severe drought in the summer, and though in places the grass is thin, in this immense region there is room for an enormous number of cattle where the grasses are rich. Hence stock raising can be carried on to great advantage. There is some difficulty in transportation, but this is gradually improving, and with the erection of more packing and slaughter houses, and with improvements in breeding, the industry has a sure future. Some stock raisers, especially General Gomez, have made great efforts for improvement, importing full blooded cattle of different breeds to produce a better kind, perfectly adapted to the climate of Venezuela. Modern methods are being employed, and in the valley of Maracay a large number of live stock is fattened ready to supply the 500 cattle daily killed at Puerto Cabello by the Refrigerating Company which exports them. A new packing house is to be erected at Turiamo. It is reported that a contract has been made for 200,000 acres to be colonized by Germans, who wish to control the meat packing industry. The number of cattle in Venezuela is estimated at 3,000,000.
Sheep, horses, hogs are also raised in the valley of Maracay; acclimated specimens of special breeds have been obtained for reproduction in other parts of the country. At present horses and mules are raised in comparatively small numbers.