466 AMAZONIA AND LA PLATA. 



Agriculture. 



Agriculture proper had at first a hard struggle, having to contend especially 

 with the pastoral habits and traditions of the rural populations. In Entre-PJos the 

 first land was broken up in obedience to the peremptory orders of the all-powerful 

 Urquiza. But these orders were of little effect, and the natives took advantage 

 of the least political disturbances to abandon their fields and orchards and resume 

 their nomad pastoral life. 



Nevertheless, the revolution, which the will of one man had failed to bring 

 about, was accomplished by the new economic conditions of Europe and the New 

 World. AVhen animal products began to acquire a market value, even in the 

 Argentine Mesopotamia, the land itself rose in price ; it was classified according to 

 the nature of its produce, and agriculture, at first developed in the neighbourhood 

 of the towns, gradually took possession of the more fertile regions. The ai*rival 

 of thousands and tens of thousands of foreign settlers coincided with the economic 

 transformations of Argentina and gave them a fresh impetus. 



In 1891 the extent of land under cultivation was estimated by Brackebusch 

 at nearly 12,000 square miles, or rather more than the hundredth part of the 

 whole territory. Wheat and maize are by far the most important cereals, and 

 these alone cover over two-thirds of all the tilled land. Next follows alfalfa, or 

 lucerne, which is grown especially on the artificially irrigated lands of the west, 

 and which already forms a leading article of exportation. 



The other vegetable products are confined to very small areas, mostly in the 

 province of Buenos Ay res, which supplies the capital with provisions of all kinds. 

 In fact, one-third of all the land under tillage lies within the limits of this 

 province. Santa Fé, largely occupied by foreign settlers, follows next in import- 

 ance, after which comes Cordoba, which, however, grows scarcely anything 

 except wheat and potatoes. Notwithstanding its admirable position and general 

 advantages, Entre-Bios takes only the fourth place, while the neighbouring and 

 equally favoured Corrientes stands nearly at the end of the list, after Mendoza, 

 San Juan, Tucuman, and San Luis. 



Nearly everywhere the farmers have to dread the plague of locusts, which at 

 times present themselves in serried ranks sixty miles broad. In general the yield 

 of wheat is far below the average of most other agricultural regions. Even in 

 Santa Fé, most fertile of the pampas provinces, it scarcely exceeds four or five 

 bushels per acre, which in France or England would be regarded as little better 

 than a total failure of the crops. Argentina produces much wheat, not because 

 of its fertility, but because of its great extent. 



Sugar, next in importance to the cereals, is confined exclusively to the sub- 

 tropical zone, and even here to the bottom lands, forming a narrow belt which 

 extends from Oran, near the Bolivian frontier, to Tucuman and Santiago del 

 Estero. Cotton, which yielded good returns, has been nearly abandoned, while 

 in the same zone the vine is cultivated up to a height of 6,000 feet. The chief 

 wine- growing districts are in the neighbourhood of San Juan and of Mendoza, 

 where viticulture has acquired real importance. The total annual yield is 



