588 



Agriculture in Argentina. 



[NOV., 



require a much larger capital than wheat or maize, but it is 

 looked on as a risky crop, as it is so easily affected by both 

 drought and frost. The straw of the flax plant is not at present 

 dealt with as flax, but is often used as fuel for the threshing 

 engine. 



Renting of Land. — Land can be rented at from £i is. to 

 £4 ys. per square of about 4 acres, according to district and 

 situation. Land near to a railway is the most sought after, 

 as it saves the heavy expense of cartage over roads which, 

 after a spell of bad weather, are often almost impassable. It 

 is also easy to purchase land, but prices vary greatly according 

 to situation. 



Another method for those who have not the capital to pay 

 rent in advance, as is customary, is to contract with a large 

 land owner to take up land on the basis of paying in produce, 

 and in these cases from 12 to 25 per cent, of the crop, according 

 to circumstances and situation of land, is the rent, the tenant 

 meeting all expenses of maintenance, seed, &c. 



Farmers' Risks. — The principal risks grain farmers have to 

 encounter are from drought, hail and frost. Locusts also cause 

 some damage, but of late years, with the methods adopted by 

 the Government to destroy them, at least in the more populated 

 districts, the damage has been much less than that caused by 

 drought. 



Labour. — The large harvest of the past year created a demand 

 for labour, and, in consequence, wages increased to an unusually 

 high rate. Machinists have earned from 14s. to 17s. 6d. per day 

 with all found, and labourers from ys. to 12s. 3d. per day with all 

 found, including wine. There have been no strikes of late, 

 and, owing to the good demand for labour and the wages paid, 

 there is no sign at present of discontent among the working 

 classes. 



Machinery and Implements. — The demand for machinery is 

 important and promises to increase. One of the more im- 

 portant firms established at Rosario sold 160 threshing 

 machines, with appliances, during the last six months of the 

 year 1907. North America and Germany are our principal 

 competitors in supplying agricultural machinery and imple- 

 ments, and manufacturers' agents from those countries fre- 

 quently visit Argentina in order to gain a better knowledge of its 



