The advocate., 1897-10-13
For the Farmer.
WHEAT-GROWING IN ARGENTINA,


crop, to be harvested about December
next, II is interesting to study the meth
DDS OF cultivation there. The South
American wheat farms are mostly held
by Italians who use peon labor. Their
methods are primitive and Of the cheap
est character. Their expenses are very
small.
That portion Of the Argentine Repub-
lie at present devoted to wheat culture
includes the provinces Of Santa Fe,
Buenos Ayres and Entire Rios, with the
south portion of the province OF Cordoba
(the province corresponding to the
"State" In the United States), and the
total area OF this stretch Of country is
about equal to the combined areas OF
England and France. Only about one
third OF the land within convenient dis
tance of railways already constructed
being as yet under cultivation, 1t Is OBJ
viOus that there is room for considerable
development even under the present con-
ditiOns Of transportation.
The surface Of this great section OF
country ls level and free from stones, de-
void of timber, with few streams, having
a rich soil, temperate climate average
summer temperature "a degrees f., and
average winter temperature 81 degrees
FL, and usually plentiful rainfall, also
during the spring months constantly re-
curing night deWs.
The general character Of the soil Is the
same in all parts, varying somewhat IN
fertility according to the nearness to or
remOteness from the great river Parana
or the estuary known as River Plate,
The soil is composed Of a loose vegetable
layer Of black loan of six to thirty-six
inches in depth, and under this layer Is
usually found a deep subsoil OF clayey,
sandy character, and, lower still, hard
clay. This last-named stratum holds
the rainfall, enabling the ground to
stand a long drought without seriously
affecting the roots of the wheat plant.
II can be safely stated that an average
of favorable seasons may be looked for,
and that a serious failure of the crop, as
in the year 1889, when, owing to dam
age by rain, the export surplus only
amounted to 100000 quarters, Is unlikely
to recur, because the wheat growing area
has extended to such an extent that 1t
measures some ESQ miles from north to
south, and 150 miles east and west, with
somewhat different climates, and includ-
ing districts as far apart as London and
Madrid, or Minnesota and Louisiana.
The earliest settlers were Swiss, and
colonists of that nationality are to-day
among the best farmers In the country
living we'll in every way and proving
themselves successful agriCulturists. The
"a
are almost always Italians, who origi-
naIly came from Piedmont or the plains
Of LOmbardy, very few having either
previous knowledge Of agriculture OF
any capital to start with, but they are
keen for money, and work hard In theil
own way, having quite enough sense tC
learn from experience by slow degrees
the best way to grow wheat, although
they are desperately mean In any ex
penditure, and have strong inclination
always to increase their acreage anC
trust to favorable season.
BY working fifteen or sixteen hours
one man can plOw two or two and hal
acres per diem with single plow, o.
four to five acres on broken land with {
double plow, and II provided with suttl
clent bullocks, and urged to do so b!
good condition Of the land and suitable
weather, will keep up this work for
considerable time.
Az very few of the 200 or 800 railwa,
stations where wheat is shipped ar
found more than the most necessar,
buildings, such as one or two genera
stores, bakeries and smithies, and, YER
much to the disappointment OF the buy
era OF station lots, there seems no dis
position 10 build country towns or Great
any local industries, except for the max