Chapter X

A GLANCE AT THE PROVINCES AND NATIONAL TERRITORIES OF ARGENTINA,
AND THE INTERIOR OF URUGUAY

BUENOS AIRES, the “Queen” Province: Its stillborn capital—Famous
museum and university—Bahia Blanca—Mar-del-Plata, a veritable
round of gaiety; the new Port—Potatoes—Other chief towns of the
province—Cereals and live stock—Great agricultural and industrial
activity—Generally uninteresting scenery: model farms and fine
country houses 139

SANTA FÉ: Forests, live stock and agriculture—An old-world
capital—Busy Rosario—Other ports—Mixed agriculture and stock
farming—Milling and other industries 144

CÓRDOBA: The gaucho wars—The learned city—The Cathedral
and university—Monks and nuns—Mediæval atmosphere—Some
personal recollections: religion and roulette—Alta gracia—Mar
chiquita—Chief towns—The Dique San Roque—A projected canal 145

ENTRE RIOS: No longer the “Poor Sister”—The railway ferry
service—City of Paraná; Urquíza and Sarmiento—Concórdia—Large
land holdings—Extract of meat 150

CORRIENTES: Where the _Diligence_ still runs—Descendants
of the _Conquistadores_—San Juan de la Vera de las siete
Corrientes—Other chief towns—Good possibilities but commercial
apathy—Lake Iberá—A zoological invasion—General San Martin 153

SAN LUIS: Alfalfa—Irrigation—Grapes and wine—Minerals—Native
indolence 156

SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO: Irrigation and cereal
cultivation—_Alfalfares_—_Quebracho_ and charcoal—Amenities
of the Santiagueño—Quack doctors and wise women; a cure for
toothache—Dangers of quackery 158

TUCUMÁN: Smallest Argentine province, but important—Sugar—Former
difficulties and present progress—The city of Tucumán—The
Declaration of Independence—Palatial villas—The Plaza
Independencia, theatre and casino—Irrigation—Snow-capped
mountains and fertile valleys 160

CATAMARCA: Sparse population—Irrigation and transport; a new
government line—Minerals—_The Campo del Pucara_ and the city
of Catamarca; a sleepy hollow—Native lethargy; a Spanish
aristocracy—Unexploited mineral wealth 163

LA RIOJA: Water, labour and transport needed—Maize and tropical
fruits—Wine—Irrigation—A new national railway—Mineral wealth; _La
Famatina_—The city of La Rioja; arrested development—Remains of
Inca civilization—Mountain and plain 165

JUJUY: The brothers Leach—A picturesque province—The Humahuaca
dialect—General Lavalle—The blue and white flag and the “Sun of
May”—A primitive population 167

SALTA: “The Cradle of the Republic”—Jabez Balfour—The
gaucho—Coya Indians—Need of intelligent and energetic
population—Ponchos—Rubber—Hot springs—No soldiery, only armed
police 169

MENDOZA: Wine—“Entre San Juan y Mendoza”—Alfalfa—San
Rafael—Irrigation—Earthquakes—Public gardens and the West
Park—Wine manufacture—Table grapes—Peaches—Coal and petroleum—The
_Puente del Inca_—Hot springs 174

SAN JUAN: Former financial recalcitrance—Depreciated
paper—Irrigation and enforced prosperity—A new railway—The defeat
of the Buenos Aires grape ring—Old colonial charm 178

THE PAMPA CENTRAL: The fifteenth province?—Wheat, linseed
and maize—Rapid development—Shifting sand-hills—Three great
railways—Wool and hides—The latent landlord in excelsis—Need of a
real colonization policy; _settlers_ wanted 182

NEUQUEN: Chilean colonies and trade—Wheat, alfalfa and
vegetables—“Tronador”; Scandinavian scenery—Lake Nahuel Huapí
and Victoria Island—Hot and medicinal springs—Future wealth—Vast
irrigation—Rich, virgin soil—Deep-water ports 185

RIO NEGRO: Fertile soil, but no rainfall—Irrigation and the
_Lago Pellegrini_—Regulation of the flow of the river—Former
disastrous floods—A climatic transformation—New railway lines—San
Blas—Copper, salt, and petroleum—Furious winds—A scheme which
failed 188

CHUBUT: Petroleum—The Welsh colony—“Foreigners” not admitted—Lazy
descendants of active forefathers—Sparse population—Wool and
alfalfa—A new railway 193

SANTA CRUZ: English climate, orchards and gardens; far from the
madding crowd—Sheep—Wind!—Cold storage—Wheat, oats and alfalfa;
apples and pears 196

TIERRA DEL FUEGO: No volcanoes in “Fire Land”—A cure for
anarchy—Hardy sheep—Seal and whale fishing—Potatoes and table
vegetables—The Silesian mission—Mr. Bridges’ refuge—The new
gaol—Gold prospecting—“De Gustibus!” 197

MISIONES: The “Imperio Jesuitico”—Practical
religion—Fairyland—The Iguazú Falls—Timber—Mate—Maize, sugar
and fruit—Granite—Neglected industries—Need of suitable
labour—Indians then and now—A projected railway to the junction
of three republics 200

FORMOSA: _Not_ the most beautiful—No man’s land—A
projected railway—Quebracho—Alfalfa and maize—Again the
_Latifundío_ question—A fiscal land scandal—Landlords and
squatters—Smuggling—Tobacco and sugar—Timber—Pleasant memories of
the River Plate 205

URUGUAY: General physical and climatic characteristics—Flora—The
Uruguayan Rio Negro the dividing line of general physical
features—Fruit and vegetables—Flour—Soil—Minerals and the Mining
Laws 212

THE CHACO and LOS ANDES: Timber and Minerals 214

CHAPTER XI

AGRICULTURE

Comparative values of agricultural exports—Railways not the only
causes of agricultural extension—Railway policy—Ambassadorial
managers—Intensive and extensive farming—“Secondary”
industries—Bread versus meat—Minerals, petroleum and
pigs—Uruguayan agriculture—River Plate cereal exports—Wheat and
alfalfa; Agricultural _dolce far niente_—Again “population!”—An
economic deadlock—“Colonists”—Mr. Herbert Gibson’s views—Dr.
Francisco Latzina—Cultivable land in Argentina—_The Defensa
Agricola_—Señor Ricardo Pillado—Tabular statistics—Latest
Argentine harvest and cereal export estimates—Deficiency of
official Uruguayan statistics—General soil characteristics 215

CHAPTER XII

LIVE STOCK

The “History of Belgrano”—The first horses on the River Plate—The
_Goes’_ cattle—The first goats and sheep—Early export trade—The
first freezing establishment—Amazing pastoral and agricultural
changes—The “discovery” of alfalfa—Sheep—Fine stock—Horses—Pigs
and poultry—Tired land—Tabular statistics—Favourite
breeds—Comparative absence of disease—British prohibition
of import of animals on the hoof—Drought—Water supplies
of Uruguay and Argentina—A windmill which was not
erected—Fencing—Anglo-Saxon enterprise—The Argentine Rural
Society; its herd and flock books—The agricultural and live
stock show—Trees—The coming colonist and mixed farming—Tabular
statistics—The meat trade: its history from the seventeenth to
the present century—Market classification—Predominance of U.S.
interests in cold storage industry—Influence of cold storage
companies on fine breeding—Tabular statistics 249

CHAPTER XIII

FORESTRY

River Plate timber and fancy woods—Señor Mauduit’s lists
and descriptions—Argentina and Uruguay considered as one
arboricultural area—Importance of this subject—Railway coach
building—Shelter for cattle 277