East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-06-28
IN ARGENTINE
FARMING REGION
SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRY
MUCH LIKE THIS.
Rainfall From S5 TO so Inches Per
Year-Wages of Harvest Hands
SI.2S to $3.50 Per Day--Most of
the Farm Implements Imported
From United States-Fat Steers Are
Worth $50 to $S5 Per Head.

The following entertaining report
on farming in Argentine Is sent to the
department of commerce and labor by
American Consul d. Mayer, at Buenos
Ayers. and is a correct and truthful
statement Of conditions today.
The staple crops of Argentina are
wheat. corn, and flax; other products
are cotton, tobacco, birdseed, rice, po-
tatoes. oats, oranges bananas,
peaches, and vegetables, sugar cane
and wine grapes, Alfalfa is very iTn-
portant forage crop. Wheat and corn
are grown in practically the same
zone. Cattle feeding is almost un-
known at present There are good
openings for men with some capital
who are experts in this line
The prices of corn and wheat lands
vary according to quality and loca-
ton, being as high as $50 ard $50 an
acre near the important markets, hut
land almost as productive may be
bought for SO AMI 81 an acre on the
frontier.
The lands of nearly one-half Of the
republic are used for grazing, being
unfit for the plow. Much of the area
In the grain zone is used for grazing,
not because 1t cannot be TILED. but
because the owners have not yet
awakened to the advantage and profit
OF using the plow. The grain zone
may roughly be said to lie between
the 3Oth and 40th parallels of south
latitude. in the territory east of the
ndes. The grazing region comprises
all the country south of the 40th par
allel and a considerable part of the
mountainous region west of the 65th
meridian. Some of the land north of
the seth parallel is used for grazing
purposes, but much will produce su-
perior cotton, tobacco, rice, sugar, etc
The prices of farm labor vary as
greatly as do the prices of land. In
the grain regions good native or for
eign workers command $12 to $40 d
month and harvest hands from $1.2F
. to $3.50 a day. In the grazing dis
tricts prices are lower: in some in.
stances good stock hands receive from
SO to S12 a month, and the use of c
small plot of land. Most of the farm
implements are imported from thu
United States.
Start With Small Capital.
1t is hardly possible to state tn
minimum capital required to star
corn or wheat farming. In some place
a man might begin with $500, Il
others $4,000 would be none too mucl
for a modest, beginning. Some of tn
large farmers here have from 500.
900 to $3.50, 900 invested.
Generally there is an abundance O
rain, but once in Is or 20 years ther
is not sufficient for good crops. 1
the north in some years the locusts o
grasshoppers are a serious pest /
some places: otherwise there is moth
ing to complain Of The governmer
is stable, and people who can adar
themselves to the conditions in fore
here will have no trouble from ths
source. The principles of administra
ton, however, are very different froI
those of the United States. The pre-
vailing language and many of tn
customs are Spanish.
Titles Are Good.
There is no difficulty about Ian
titles. About 40 per cent of til
population are Italians. There al
many Spaniards, about 10000 Britis
and Irish, and probably 1900 Ame
leans here. besides people of a nun
ber of other nationalities.
The climate is as diversified as thi
of the United States. The grcat'
part of the country, however, has
climate like Texas, Oklahoma. Kal
sas, Nebraska, etc, except that Il
winters are somewhat milder ar
the summers not so hot. The averat
yearly rainfall in the farming secuC
is between 35 and SO inches, accor
ing to the region.
Corn is selling this week (April 2
1900 at 3S to AZ cents a bushel; Il
prices generally vary from 25 to
cents. The cost of production is We
low and the yield often high. TT
best wheat is selling for 20 to
cents a bushel. This is higher tn;
usual, but perhaps lower than t
price is likely to be generally in t
years TO come. The price of oats,
which very little is raised, is abo
the same as that of corn. Fat stee
are now being marketed in Buen
Aires at $40 to S35 each, accordi
TO size and quality Fat cows bri
from SIS to $2S each. One shou
bear in mind that while the pric
quoted are not nearly so high as
the United States the cost of produ
tion is correspondingly lower.
the prices given have been reduc
to United States equivalents.
D. MAYER,
Consul General Buenos Aires. Arge
tina