Chapter II: Part II

THE ARGENTINE AS AN AGRICULTURAL COUNTRY.

I. AGRICULTURE 125

NATURAL CONDITIONS——THE CONSTITUTION OF PROPERTY——The three
principal agricultural districts——The northern, central, and
southern districts——The division of crops and their varieties.

The constitution of rural property——The division of property——The
great estates, called “estancias,” and their size.

The drawbacks of large properties——The necessity of a better
subdivision of the public lands——The division into lots of
large tracts of land, in order to encourage colonisation——The
system of exploiting property.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION——The progress realised in last seventeen
years——Comparative yield of the chief products, wheat, flax,
and maize——Lucerne; the importance of the crop and the
excellent results obtained.

Increase of the area under seed——The total area cultivated in the
agricultural years 1908-1909——The great agricultural belts.

The Province of Buenos Ayres, its agricultural development and
its crops——The Province of Santa Fé——The Province of Córdoba——
The Territory of the Central Pampa.

Agricultural machinery, its importation from abroad, and
especially from the United States.

THE AGRICULTURAL YIELD——The yield of the soil in the different
Provinces——Exceptional results in certain districts——Detailed
calculation of the yield of a wheat farm——Two instances of
great wealth realised by immigrants to the Argentine.

II. THE PRODUCTION OF WHEAT IN THE ARGENTINE
COMPARED WITH THE YIELD OF OTHER EXPORTING
COUNTRIES 154

The world’s wheat-harvest——Comparison between the statistics of
consumption——The conditions of production in Russia and in
the Argentine——Comparison with the United States, India and
Canada——The prospects of the Argentine export trade in wheat.

III. STOCK-RAISING 162

The transformation of the old “estancia”——The principal
stock-raising establishments; description, extent, number of
heads of cattle and favourite breeds——The great “estancias”
of the South and Patagonia.

Approximate area of the soil devoted to cattle and sheep; general
estimate of the numbers of cattle and sheep——Results of
the census of 1908.——The capital represented by Argentine
stock-raising.

IV. THE VALUE OF THE SOIL 174

Difficulties in estimating this value——Principal factors of
valuation——Examples taken from lucerne fields and the forests
of quebracho——Despite adverse circumstances, and with a few
exceptions, there has always been a tendency for the price of
land to rise——Alienation of lands acquired by conquest from
the Indians; their enormous present value——The rise of value
dates from 1902, and has hitherto continued without relapse——
The causes of this rise, and its rational principles,
according to an authoritative opinion.

Examples of valuation drawn from the sales of public lands——The
rise of prices in the Provinces of Buenos Ayres, Córdoba,
Santa Fé, and the Pampa, with figures indicating the prices
realised in some large recent transactions.

V. AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES 187

SUGAR-CANE——Area of plantations——Statistics of production——
Legislation affecting sugar——Consumption.

VINES——Area of vineyards planted——Production, consumption——
Imperfect quality——Competition of foreign imports.

TOBACCO——Area of plantations——Value of the product——Defective
preparation.

THE MULBERRY——The culture of the silk-worm might be established
in the Argentine, but at present exists only in an
experimental condition.

MATÉ——Large consumption of this product.——Statistics of foreign
importation——Districts suitable for its growth.

COTTON——Physical conditions proper to its growth——The first
favourable results in the Argentine——Its introduction into
Chaco——Lack of manual labour for the development of this
industry.

RUBBER——Existence of rubber plants in the Argentine——An
unexploited source of wealth.

ARBORICULTURE——On account of the diversity of the climate, all
fruit-trees can be grown in the Argentine——The various
fruits cultivated in different regions——Amelioration of the
products. The trade in fruit——Its development possible on
account of the inversion of seasons as compared with Europe——
Refrigeration applied to the transport of fruit——Regions
particularly suitable for fruit-growing.