64 
BULLETIN 1409, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Rivers and their tributaries. The waterways are still used, 
following shows the increase in railway mileage since 1857: 
The 
1857. 
1867. 
1877. 
1887. 
Miles 
6 
356 
1, 386 
4, 156 
Miles 
1897 9, 338 
1907 13, 748 
1917 21, 149 
1924 22, 369 
Country Roads 
Throughout the cereal region and near the railroads in other 
regions, the country is generally under wire fence. Between the 
estates ample space has been left for roads, usually about 100 feet 
in width. Throughout most of the country little has been done to 
these open spaces left for roads, although in many counties, especially 
near important towns, dirt roads have been graded to the center 
with ditches at the sides for drainage. In a few sections, especially 
Fig. l 
iins ships at the Port of Rosario on the Parana River about 250 
miles north of Buenos Aires, 1923 
in the Provinces of Santa Fe, Cordoba, Tucuman, Mendoza, and 
San Juan, some well-constructed hard-surface roads have been pro- 
vided. The dirt roads and flat spaces untouched by the plow or 
scraper between wire fences are fairly good in dry weather, but 
following a period of rain they become almost impassable. 
Ports 
Argentina is well provided with ports within easy access of its 
principal areas of agricultural and livestock production and they are 
equipped with modern facilities for storing commodities and for 
loading and unloading ships. (See fig. 17.) The most important 
ports are Buenos Aires, Rosario, Bahia Blanca, and La Plata. Of 
lesser importance are Zarate y Las Palmas, Santa Fe, Campana, 
San Nicolas, Villa Constitucion, Caba del Uruguay, and Diamante. 
The tonnage exported from these ports is shown in Table 48 for the 
years 1918 to 1923, inclusive. 
