166 



WHEAT aHOWlNG IN THE ARGENTINE [Dec. 1894. 

 REPUBLIC. 



the reported increase over the estimated acreage of the previous 

 year : — 



j Year. 



Wheat Ar(!a. 



Year. 



Wheat Area, j 





Acres. 





Acres. 



1 1875 



271.436 



1892 



3,265,340 



1 1883 



601,445 



1893 



5,500,000 



1888 



2,036,254 



1894 



6,000,000 



From the above, it would appear that the acreage has more 

 than doubled within the last three years. As regards the possi- 

 bilities of further extension, it may be observed that a Mr. Alois 

 E. Fliess has estimated the area suitable for the cultivation of 

 cereals at about 240,000,000 acres, but Mr. Gastrell thinks it 

 probable that this estimate is considerably too high. 



The exports of wheat from the Argentine Republic are shown 

 in the official returns as under : — 



1 Year. 



Export. 



Year. 



Exports. 





Cwts. 





Cwts. 



1871 



176 



1883 



1,193,395 



1872 



* 341 



1884 



2,131,235 



1873 



97 



1885 



1,541,834 



1874 



7,022 



1886 



743,765 



1875 





1887 



4,672,366 



1876 



410 



1888 



3,514,662 



1877 



3,921 



1889 



447,982 



1878 



50,039 



1890 



6,430,064 



1879 



504,219 



1891 



7,769,834 



1880 



22,896 



1892 



9,234,303 



1881 



3,085 



1893 



19,802,691 



1882 



33,497 



1894(first6months) 



20,223,225 



In view of the steadily increasing acreage under wheat it may 

 be of interest to consider the position of the Argentine farmer 

 as affected by the continued fall in the price of that cereal. 



Several independent calculations have been made of the cost 

 cf producing w^heat in the Argentine Republic, and with reference 

 to those reproduced in the following pages^ it should be borne in 

 mind that in the conversion of the paper dollar, the gold 

 premium has been taken at 200, following the course adopted in 

 Mr. GastreU's report. In that report it is stated that the cost 

 in 1893, was about 21s, 6d. per acre, or, taking the average 

 production at 1 5 bushels, about Is. 5d. per bushel, including all 

 expenses and cost of bags up to delivery at the nearest railway 

 station. 



Mr. Findlay, Second Secretary in Her Majesty's Legation at 

 Buenos Ayres, has been informed by Mr. T. H. Sams, who is said 

 to be one of the best authorities on*^the subject of the Argentine 

 wheat industry, that the average cost of producing a bushel of 

 wheat in 1893-94 was about $1*05, which would be approxi- 



