1909.] Agriculture in the Argentine Republic. 301 



widely scattered than in 1895, and unfavourable climatic 

 influences, even though disastrous in their particular locali- 

 ties, would be much less likely to affect the cereal harvest as 

 a whole. 



The average proportion of wheat exported during the past 

 five years is stated to represent about 70 per cent, of the 

 production, 9 per cent, being used for seed and 21 per cent, 

 for food, but the proportion naturally varies with the harvest, 

 as the two latter items are relatively constant. In 1907-8 the 

 total production was estimated at 5,238,705 metric tons, of 

 which 430,000 tons are assumed to be required for seed and 

 900,000 tons for consumption, leaving 3,908,705 tons available 

 for export. The quantity actually returned as exported in the 

 calendar year 1908 was 3,636,294 tons of wheat and 113,500 

 tons of flour. 



The average yield of wheat in recent years has been about 

 11J bushels per acre, but this relatively low yield is counter- 

 balanced by the fact that the cheapness and fertility of the 

 land and the favourable climate enable the soil to be cultivated 

 with a small capital, little expenditure being incurred for 

 buildings, and no manuring being done. On the other hand, 

 machinery is largely employed, particularly reapers, while no 

 fewer than 6,186 steam thrashing machines are returned as 

 working in 1907-8. 



Oats seem hardly to have been grown at all in 1895, and 

 in 1 900-1 the area devoted to this crop was only about 

 30,000 acres. During the last three or four years, however, 

 it has extended rapidly, and in 1908 the area was 1,564,000 

 acres. The exports, which were only 15,000 tons in 1905, 

 rose to 440,000 tons in 1908, a large proportion of which 

 came to the United Kingdom. 



The production of maize in 1907-8 was 3,456,000 tons, and 

 the export in the year 1908 was 1,711,800 tons. The latter 

 figure was much below those of some earlier years, the exports 

 in 1906, for example, reaching 2,693,709 tons. The report of 

 the Ministry of Agriculture mentioned above states that the 

 cultivation of this crop shows a tendency to increase, and 

 although liable to injury from weather, locusts, &c, the 

 average yield is sufficiently high to give a good profit, while 

 the cost of production is lower than in other countries. 



