56 



The World's Commercial- Products 



PACKING MAIZE IN BAGS FOR EXPORT 



three feet six inches apart 

 with a distance of two feet 

 between the plants. The 

 essential points are to obtain 

 an even distribution of the 

 plants, and to avoid the ex- 

 tremes of overcrowding and 

 planting at too great inter- 

 vals. Great care is taken in 

 the proper cultivation of the 

 field during the early stages 

 of the young plants, and the 

 most successful corn growers 

 are those who realise the 

 importance of removing the weeds as completely as possible, and breaking up the soil as soon 

 as it becomes caked ; none of the cultivation is carried out by hand, horse-machinery being 

 employed in all cases. 



As soon as the grain has ripened, the crop is harvested and the cobs removed for threshing 

 or " shelling." In the tropics and Southern Europe these processes are generally carried out by 

 hand, but in a country like America, where labour is expensive, this is impossible, and necessity 

 has resulted in the invention of the most ingenious machinery which performs the operations 

 in- a most efficient manner. 



During its growth maize has but few enemies, either fungal or insect. This desirable state 

 of affairs is no doubt largely due to the fact that the external cuticle or skin of practically the 

 whole plant is relatively tough and impenetrable, and therefore fungal spores are unable to 

 penetrate into the tissues of the plant, and insects probably find it equally difficult to pierce the 

 skin and to deposit their eggs. Maize is not without its enemies, however, but they are most 

 dangerous when the grain is stored on board ship for export. Several beetles and the maize-fly, 

 known in South America as " palomita," then commence their ravages, which are in some 

 cases kept in check by exposing the grain to fumes which stifle the insects. One of the best 

 preventatives against these pests, however, is to arrange for the shipment of the grain before 

 the full heat of the summer, for a high temperature is one of the most powerful factors in the 

 rapid development and increase of these insects. 



The rapid increase in the exports of maize from the Argentine during the last few years 

 has been most remarkable, and at the present time it is estimated that there are nearly 5,000,000 

 acres under cultivation for this cereal. There can be little doubt that in a comparatively short 

 time this wonderful country will oust the United States from its premier position, and become the 

 chief maize-growing country of the world. The principal provinces concerned with the crop are 

 Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Cordoba, and Entre Rios, especially the two first named, and while 

 hitherto maize has been chiefly raised as an accessory crop, many landowners are adopting it as 

 their staple cultivation. The importance of the cereal to the Argentine is two-fold ; in the 

 first place, a valuable export trade is already established, and, secondly, the grain is every 

 year being more largely used as a food for the cattle and stock which form so important a part 

 of the wealth of the country. The land is largely worked by poor and ignorant immigrants 

 from Europe, chiefly Italians. As might be expected, the methods of cultivation employed 

 by these people have, up to the present, been extremely primitive and unscientific, and the 

 results achieved are due to the marvellous fertility of the soil and the perfect climatic condi- 

 tions. Nevertheless, it is only right to say that the methods are improving year by year, 

 and that the leaven of modern ideas is penetrating into the minds of the colonists, and the 

 Argentine affords a very large market for up-to-date machinery. 



At the present time considerably more than one-half of the total crop is exported, and one 



