74 CHAPTER VI 



Of these countries, Argentina and South Africa are rela- 

 tively undeveloped, and as fanning becomes more intensive they 

 doubtless will become of much greater importance. 



It is of interest to note the percentage of the crop exported 

 from these countries. The United States of America exports 

 only 2 "29 per cent, of its crop, while Argentina exports 55 '33 

 per cent, of its maize, and South Africa (1911) 11 per cent, and 

 (1918) 20 per cent. Naturally, in more densely populated 

 countries, where intensive farming is necessarily practised, 

 consumption is high and export low ; in fact in the maize belt 

 of America the greater portion of the crop never leaves the 

 farms on which it is grown. While it is anticipated that South 

 Africa in the near future will export both a higher percentage 

 and larger quantities of its maize, when farming assumes a 

 more intensive phase, a smaller percentage is likely to leave 

 our shores. 



A curious position is shown when the average yield per 

 acre of these various countries is considered : — 



Average, 1912-14. 



Canada 57*1 bushels. 



Egypt 30-5 



Argentine ... ... 25'1 ,, 



Hungary 29'7 



Bulgaria 19-1 



Italy 27-0 



Spain 23-5 



U.S. A 26-3 



Australia 27'4 



South Africa 14-29 ,, 



The low acre yield in^he United States of America mus t be 



attri'Buted: to tiic tact-tHa Fa large j^creage is cu ltivated in~the 



flrier Wesfem States, where climatic conditions' are not so well 



suited as m tlie" more humid Teg ic m s. ^ j h i S u utlr Africa, as will 



be pointed out later, one of tl ie chief contrib uting^uses of low 



^yield per acre is the Tact~tliat much of the maize grown Is j^o- 



*duced"'in arens i]nsnited~to its growth'."' Unlike the United 



St' a'tes of A rnei-ira , i~io distinct line of d(5marCStion between the 



m^rze and~sorghuni areas has been definitely "formed. 



^- — SfWTTT— Atttuan PiioDucTiON. -Frior+tr-tiie-Anglo-Boer 



War sufficient maize was not produced to meet the requirements 



of local consumption, as is shown by the fact that in 1899 



£200,000 worth of maize meal was imported for use on the 



mines in the Transvaal. 



