168 



WHEAT GROWING IN THE ARGENTINE [Dec. 1894. 

 REPUBLIC. 



The rent of $10 per cuadra, roughly 3s, 4d per acre, may, 

 it appears, be considered rather a high average, for while in 

 some districts rents range from $15 to $20 per cnadra, 

 land can generally be obtained at a rental below $10. It 

 is further observed that a large number of farmers own their 

 land, which many of them purchased some years ago when the 

 freehold prices were considerably cheaper than they are at the 

 present time. The cost of seed is also put down at a higher 

 figure than would usually be paid for it, and the allowance of 

 about |ths of a bushel per acre is regarded as liberal and more 

 than is necessary. 



From this statement it will be seen tliat for a farm of about 

 480 acres, of which 400 acres is under wheat, it is estimated that 

 a capital of about $5,000 or 333^. is required. The cost of pro- 

 duction works out to Is. 5d. per bushel, the yield being calcu- 

 lated at 20 bushels per acre. 



On the average yield of previous harvests, viz., 15 bushels 

 per acre, the cost of production would be increased to something 

 over Is. T^cZ. per bushel. Mr. Sams is of opinion, however, that 

 with improvements in the methods of cultivation, the rich soils 

 of Argentina will produce, on an average, yields of 20 bushels and 

 upwards per acrf^. In the harvest of 1893-94, the yield in many 

 districts was over 20 bushels^ and in some as much as 34. It may 

 be observed here also that an official estimate published in 1889 

 represented the average yield of wheat per acre at 17 bushels. 



In the case of wheat intended for export, there must be added 

 to the above estimate of the cost of production the expense of 

 conveying the grain to the port of shipment, and of its sub- 

 sequent transport to Europe. These charges have been calcu- 

 lated to amount on the average to about 8d. or 9d. a bushel. 



Some further calculations of the cost of production were pub- 

 lished in the Buenos Ay res Standard of September 14 th, 1894, 

 and are reproduced below. These calculations, which are based 

 upon information obtained from practical men in Santa Fe, 



Estimate No. IL — Farm of 400 acres. 





Paper 

 Dollars. 



i'aper 

 Dollars. 



Gold Value. 



Outlay. 



Cost of plous;hin^ and planting 

 Seed wheat 



Reaping and stacking ----- 



Threshing ------- 



4,000 sacks at 36 cents each - - . . 

 Carting to station ..... 



Wheat tax - - - - 



500 

 650 

 1,500 

 3,500 

 1,440 

 500 

 250 



$ 



8,340 



£ s. d. 



£ s. d. 



33 6 8 

 43 6 8 

 100 0 0 

 233 6 8 

 96 0 0 

 33 6 8 

 16 13 4 



Receipts. 



10,000 bushels of wheat at $1-25 



Less 13 per cent, for rent . . . - 



Net profit - - - . 



12,500 

 1,625 



10,875 



833 6 8 

 108 6 8 



556 0 0 

 725 0 0 





2,535 





169 0 0 



