Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-10-28
ABOUT CHEAP WHEAT
PRODUCT OF ARGENTINA
GROWN BY PEON LABOR.
Primitive Methods of italian Farmers
Favorable Soil and Seasons. Cheap
Labor aud Long Hour Factors That
Regulate Market Prices.

American wheat farms are mostly held
by Italians who use peon labor. Their
methods are primitive and of the
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 Cor
doba (the province corresponding to
the state" in the United States). and
the total area of this stretch OF country
is about equal 10 the combined areas OF
England n France. Only about one
third of the land within convenient
distance of railways already construct
ed being as yet under cultivation, it is
obvious that there is room for consid-
cradle development even under the
present conditions of transportation.
The surface of this great section Of
country is level and free from stones.
devoid OF timber, with few streams,
having a rich soil, a temperate climate
taverage summer temperature "a de-
grees F., and average winter tempera-
ture 81 degrees FL, and usually a plen-
tiful rainfall. also during the spring
months constantly recurring night
dews.
The general character OF the soil is
the same in all parts. varying some-
in fertility according TO the near
ness 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 6
to 36 inches in depth. and under this
layer is usually found a deep subsull
OF a clayey. sandy character, and, lower
still, hard clay. This last named STRAIT
um holds the rainfall, enabling the
ground to stand a long drought without
seriously affecting the roots OF the
wheat plant.
1t can be safely stated that an aver
age OF favorable seasons may be looked
for, and that a serious failure of the
crop, as in the year 1889, when, owing
TO damage by rain, the export surplus
only amounted to 100, 900 quarters. is
unlikely to recur, because the wheat
growing area has extended to such an
extent that it measures some $50 miles
FROM north to south, and $50 miles east
and west. with somewhat different eli
mates. and including districts as far
apart as London and Madrid. or Min
nesota and Louisiana.
The earliest settlers were Swiss. and
colonists of that nationality are today
among the best farmers in the country,
living well in every way and proving
themselves successful agriculturists.
The small farmers throughout the
country are almost always Italians, who
originally came from Piedmont or the
plains Of Lombardy, very few having
either previous knowledge OF agricul-
ture or any capital to start with, but
they are keen for money, and work
hard in their own way. having quite
enough sense to learn from experience
by slow degrees the best way to grow
wheat, although they are desperately
mean In any expenditure, and have a
strong inclination always to increase
their acreage and trust to a favorable
season.
BY working fifteen or sixteen hours
one man can pillow two or two and a
half acres per diem with a single plow,
or four or five acres on broken land
with a double pillow, and IL provided
with sufficient bullocks, and urged to
do so by good condition of the land and
suitable weather. will keep up this
work for a considerable time.
At very few Of the 200 to 300 railway
stations where wheat is shipped are
found more than the most necessary
buildings, such as n or two general
stores, bakeries and smithies, and,
very much to the disappointment OF the
buyers OF station lots, there seems no
disposition to build country towns or
create any LEGAL industries, except for
the making OF simple agricultural i'm
PIGMENTS. and there are no loca. CEN
ters or markets.
Land being very plentiful, and very
easy to work in the Argentine Repub-
lie, a family usually take up from $50
to 400 acres, and cultivates as mucn
as they can. The land is bought some
times for cash, or more usually to be
paid for by installments spread ever
four to seven years; or is rented by
yearly tenancy; but under a very gem
eral and most convenient arrangement
land owners are almost always willing
to have their land worked by any de-
cent colonist '.cn shares" receiving
from s up to so per cen of the prod
uct of every crop according to the IA
c~iiities given to the tenant, and this
system Of working on shares is by far
the most usual. and seems to be suited
TO the present state of the country.
If the tenant is a poor man the land
owner may build the very simple mud
house that shelters the family and also
supply bullocks, plows, seed and sup
plies until the first harvest, and the
landlord then takes so per cent of the
crop, but If only the use of land is
given 8 TO / per cent of the produce
| goes to the land owner as rent; his pro-
portion Ia naturally larger on land that
is in a specially favorable position. If
| the crop il a failure the tenanr NAV