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.