The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-03-30
II
BREAD BASKET
How the Immense Wheat Fields of the
South American Pampas Are Being
Increased by the War

Rosario, the Chicago of Argentina, n
Its Great ElcvatOrs-Bahia Blanca
AMI the Flour Mills-SOuth America
and the Grain Supply of the Flu
ture-What Ii Costs I'd Raise
Whcat-Not a Good Place for the
American Farmer.
Copyright, 1915, by Frank 6. Car
penter.)
ROSARIO, Argentina.
The farmers Of Argentina will
greatly increase the size Of their wheat
farms this year. The planting season
is in May, June and July. and with
in a few weeks the piows will be
starting all over the Parana basin.
The big prices for wheat rough
about by the war are bound to con-
tinue, and they will add tens Of mill
lions Of dollars to the wealth Of the
country. The crop OF last year. now
being exported. is paying better than
ever before. and the corn which they
are harvesting will go to Europe by
the millions OF bushels.
This port 81 Rosario is in the heart
of the bread lands. 1t lies on the
Parana river about 200 miles from
Buenos Aires and about as far in
land from the Atlantic ocean as Pitts
burgh. Ocean steamers sail for 200
miles up the Rio de la Plata into the
mouth OF the Parana and thence wind
about for 200 miles to Rosario. h
hanne is so deep that great ships can
each Rosario at any time Of the
year and they come here from all
parts Of Europe and from the United
States for their cargoes Of grain.
Since 7 was here. now fifteen years
ago. great elevators have Sorung up
along the banks of the river, and
the city now has facilities for load
ing something like 200. 900 bushels a
day. There is one elevator that takes
in 500 tons Of grain al hour, and an
other that fills the hold of q 1000
ton vessel III less than five hours. The
BIGGEST elevator is seven stories high.
with sixty silos on either side. The
new port borders the banks Of the
Parana river for two miles and the
new WllarveS are about q mile long.
Under the wharves are warehouses
which will hold 10. 900. 900 bushels Of
wheat, and OF the high banks of the
river. thirty feet and more above the
water. there are other warehouses
from which chutes carry the grain
ri"ht down into the holds OF the
steamers.
me city Of Rosario stands on a bluff
which is so steep that the grain car
be Loaded. by gravity. The old way
was hy a long chute made in sections
running from the bluff to the steam
trs. The wheat Is brought here iT
bags. and the cars carry it to The
edee OF the blur. There the bags ar.
taken by the italian laborers ani
THROWN into h chutes. AS soon a.
the bags touch the chute they begin
10 descend. and they fairly gallo,
down the inclined trough into tn,
steamer. They go ut the rate o
i"rtY or fifty a minute. and make on
think OF galloping white mice. re
calling the army OF ten thousand rat
that attacked and ate up Archbisho
Hatto in his island on the Rhine.
At the present time the chutes ar
@l3'nG wav to long pipes extendin
out rom the elevators. and the whea
is delivered in bulk. A single elevate
VIII nave twenty or more such pipe
ana a half dozen ships can be loade
at once. The elevators are steadil
increasing in nuImher and size. Mar
nave been built at BuenoS Aires. ThOs
or the Central Argentine railway thel