Evening star., 1903-07-01
IS A GREAT COUNTRY
Frank w. Bicknell on the
Argentine Republic.
nADhG0 ADJ TIM MMIMSI
FARMS ARE IMMENSE
RAISING WHEAT AND CATTLE
THE PRINCIPAL INDUSTRY.
Well Equipped Railways and Many OF
Them-Buenos Ayres the Paris OF
South America.

raising and agricultural conditions in the
Argentine Republic. South America. has
Just returned to Washington.
Mr. Bicknell will spend several months
in the preparation of his report cover
ing vast number of points and lnciudlns
a great mass of data, which will make d
volume in itself and comprise sort OF
text book of the great country. Whlch oc-
cupies the southern half of South America
Speaking in general of Argentina, MT
Bicknell says: Argentina Is great coun-
try-a country of rich natural resources
a vast empire in extent half as large as
the United States, practically In ns VIZ
gin state so far as comprehensive develop
ment is concerned The average citizen OF
the United States has no conception OF
the magnificent territory comprising tnis
republic which only waits the push, en-
terprise and up-to-date methods OF the
American TO develop a paradise. agricul-
turally and second United States COM
mercially. ,, p.,,ou
was to take the measure of Argentine, as
a whole and specifically to inquire into the
live stock industry; to ascertain SO L
as possible what was belns uore. wiz
might be done and the probaDle erect VI
nrevailing and prospective conditions upon
Inc cattle business of the United States
"Argentine is a strong competitor OF tne
Tinted States in the European cattle mar
kats Stock and wheat raising constitute
the chief pursuits of the people outslue Oh
the cities. and it is well known that the
condition of Argentine crops aHects the
European markets more every year.
Stock Raising.
"Argentine stock raisers are fully abreast
of the times so far as high-bred stock is
concerned. For fifty years the cholcest
strains Of cattle have been imported from
the high-bre stock Of Europe ana no
finer herds may be found on earth than
those of the better parts of the Argentine
Renublic The cattle are all grass and
alfalfa fed. The corn-fed steer OF Iowa
and Kansas is unknown. Ultimately the
Argentine steer will get his ration OF corn
but many years must elapse before thls
day arrives. Under present conditions
stock raising is very profitable to the
South American, and he does not see the
necessity for introducing other me.nouS si7
of feeding which would involve a radical
departure from the system now in vogue.
Fortunately for the Iowa and Kansas
cattle raiser. the Argentine steer. notwith.
standing his high breeding and magnlncent
appearance. is not the Iowa corn-fed steer.
This fact is not particularly notceable on
foot but the Englishman very quickly ois-
covers the difference when he samples nus
roast The grass-fed steer is not IN IL with
his corn-fed brother.
THE grass-fed animal shrinks heavily
ten-pound roast. grass-fed. makes a poor
showing when taken from the oven COM
pared with a roast of similar size, corn-fed.
1t lacks the firmness and close grain of the
corn-fed. and is much more stringy. 1t has
also lost much in size and weight beyond
that of the corn-fed: Naturally, therefore,
the Iowa corn-fed steer brings much bet
ter price upon the European market than
the grass-fed Argentine.
The Argentine stockman Is beginning to
learn this, but he is perfectly content: He
is coming money under existing condltions.
The Farming Land.
fp ba
may be had for from 81 to s15 per acre in
Argentine" continued Mr.. Bicknell. 1T Is
said large portion of Argentine was at
one time under water and the alluvial de-
posits served to produce a soil unsurpassed
In fertility The Argentine farmer does not
know the meaning of the word fertilizer
Farming and stock raising are carried
on in Argentina upon a scale that would
paralyze even northern Minnesota FARMERS
Few farms are smaller than 10000 acres
The 16O-acre farm is unknown. The poor
est renter will not, consider operating a
tract of less than 240 acres, and he wants
a thousand.
THE farms are in the hands of wealthy
people who either rent the land to colo
nists,' they are called, or operate them
by means of bosses and sub-bosseS. A few
years ago an English syndicate undertook
to work a tract comprising over 100000
acres, but the results were not entirely
satisfactory and the tract was cut up into
smaller farms This land was nearly all
within a dozen miles Of railroads and Is
being sold for about s13 per acre There is
no more productive land on earth than this
Well Equipped With Railways.
us Argentine well equipped with rail-
roads,? was asked
"Splendidly," replied Mr.. Bicknell. For
some reasons l would prefer riding upon
Argentine lines than upon those of the
United States. This may seem to be a
strange statement. but some of the accom-
modations service equipment and COM
forts of railway travel in Argentine are
superior to ours. though in some respects
they are inferior to ours. Lines are numer
Gus and trains frequent. You can reach
the leading business points in the republic
with the same facility that you would the
principal cities in the United States.
THE railways are practically all owned
by the English. although many of the
coaches and locomotives in use are Amer
lean. The American locomotive would
quickly supersede the English make but for
the unfortunate fact that the American
makers cannot fill orders for home con-
sumption. to say nothing of supplying for
eign trade. Rates of fare average about
two and half cents per mile. but freight
rates very much higher than in the
United States and the service is not SO
good
American farm machinery has really no
competition In Argentine. There is, with
few exceptions, practically no other ma
chinery sold and English firms handle
American made goods. There is no reason
why. with better transportation facilities
and banking. the United States should not
sell South America practically all the farm
machinery used The same statement ap-
plies to many other manufactured goods
The market is there. but the goods are not
Friendly to the United States.
1.-The government and the people of Ar
gentine have the most friendly feeling to-
ward the United States. They regard us
as a great nation and their friends al
though at times some of the newspa pers
endeavor to delude the people into belev-
ing Uncle Sam is getting ready to send a
big feet and army down there and gobble
them up. However, the events of the past
few years. notably in connection with the
Venezuelan matter. have served to convince
the thinking classes that the United States
has no ulterior motives. and that, in fact.
Uncle Sam stands between the South
American republics and all sorts of trouble.
Will Welcome American Capital.
AT present the larger interests are in the
hands of Englishmen. The Argentine has
an idea that the Britisher has been some
what graspng and perhaps too well paid