AGRICULTURAL PROSPECTS. 283 



ing land which remain as yet entirely unoccupied. Much of this land 

 must, of necessity, remain thus until such time in the future as better and 

 mpre adequate means for transporting the wool and other products to and 

 from the coast shall have been introduced, than those which at present 

 prevail in Patagonia. When brought to its full capacity, the wool pro- 

 duction will be increased to several times its present proportions. 



Other Agricultural Pursuits. — At present the agricultural products of 

 this region, other than pastoral, are limited to the raising of a few vegeta- 

 bles for consumption at the various estancias. These consist, for the most 

 part, of potatoes, turnips, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, and the other commoner 

 and hardier vegetables. No attempt has ever been made to rear cereals, 

 and it is doubtful if these would thrive and ripen over any considerable 

 portion of the area under discussion. 



The scanty soil, low temperature, and almost continual winds of the 

 Patagonian plains, whose surface is everywhere covered for several feet 

 with coarse shingle, which acts like a sieve in allowing the scanty sup- 

 ply of moisture to pass downward, together form a combination of con- 

 ditions particularly unsuited to the requirements of a first-class agricultural 

 country. Yet some of the river valleys present conditions which might 

 be very easily and considerably benefited by utilizing their waters for 

 purposes of irrigation. Among such are the valleys of the Rios Chico, 

 Gallegos and Coy, lying to the southward of the Santa Cruz. While the 

 climate here would doubtless prevent the successful growing of grain, yet 

 the native grasses would be sure to be much improved by irrigation and, 

 over considerable tracts, alfalfa and other forage plants would doubtless 

 thrive. But the valley which offers the greatest advantages to those 

 interested in irrigation is that of the Rio Chico of the Santa Cruz. Here 

 is a valley with an average breadth of five miles, a length of upwards of- 

 two hundred miles, its surface, for the most part, covered to a depth of 

 several feet with rich alluvial deposits, traversed by a river fed by mountain 

 glaciers with water in greatest abundance during the warmest and driest 

 season of the year. The entire valley offers every advantage for success- 

 ful irrigation. For the greater part of its length it is protected from the 

 winds by high bluffs, while the soil over most of its extent is both warm 

 and fertile. There is little doubt that wheat, oats and rye, as well as 

 alfalfa and all the hardier grasses, would thrive well, yet it remains practi- 

 cally unoccupied. I do not hesitate to say that if such a valley existed 



