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Most remarkable it is that a country exporting an 

 article of prime necessity, still in irreat demand, should 

 experience a crisis in a moment of prosperity; that a risi- 

 in the value of her commodities should be synonymous 

 with a decrease in their utility to her: well may we ac- 

 cept it as only too true that but for the favourable cir- 

 cumstances of the last five years the decline in agri- 

 culture would have been most pronounced. 



When one goes into the history of our agricultural 

 development of the last decade, and studies the ups and 

 downs of cereal farmers, the more one goes into the de- 

 tails the more reasonable does oae find 1 the apprehen- 

 sions of the farmer regarding the future, and the more 

 grounded does his discontent appear, and this after five 

 years of prosperity. 



In order to appreciate the reasons for the present 

 distress it is necessary to do more than consider the dif- 

 ficulties provoked by a passing strike, those occasioned 

 by a deficit in bags, or whatever excuse finds most accep- 

 tance for the moment. It is essential to pass in review 

 the agents which influence agricultural things adversely 

 some years back, and discover if the same causes which 

 operated then are not operating to-day. 



And when we have done this, and glanced into what 

 our competitors have achieved elsewhere in the world we 

 must decide what has to be done at home to attain that 

 grade of excellence, which Argentine agriculture should 

 occupy, according to the advocates of rural life. 



RENEWED AGRICULTURAL PROSPERITY. 



What measures, then, five years ago were most like- 

 ly to achieve prosperity to our farmers? 



At the beginning of the war the agriculturist was 

 told to get on and sow as extensively as he could, as 

 there would be demand for all he could produce. 



Hardly had he set to work and produced consider- 

 ably, than it was discovered that the supply was in ex- 

 cess of the demand, for despite his efforts his profit was 

 less than before, prices which had promised such ample 

 profits failed to materialise, and the crisis of 1915 only 

 proved that the root of the distress of 1912 still existed. 



Measures were urged by the State to counteract the 

 evils, and after considerable delay it was resolved to re- 

 turn to the explanations offered previously, since none 

 other were accounted suitable for the situation. 



