are consumed in breweries and for forage, from 300,000 to 
400,000 hectolitres are used as seed and the surplus is exported 
to its principal market, England. 
The classes that are most in demand for sowing purposes 
are the “ Chevalier ” and “Desnuda” for the best soils, while 
common barley is grown on inferior soils. The sowing season is 
in the spring months of September and October, and the good 
irrigated soils of the northern and central districts will allow of 
sowing as late as November and December. 
Besides being grown as a grain, barley is also grown as a green 
forage, near the most important cities. 
OATS. 
The cultivation of oats is also important in the southern part 
of Chile, where the climate is more appropriate for that purpose. 
Oats are not grown in the northern and central districts, because 
there the summers are very dry and bright. Exports for the 
year 1900 amounted to more than 1,600 metric tons. 
CORN. 
Corn is not cultivated on a very large scale in Chile, and only 
the necessary quantity is produced to supply home consumption. 
Nevertheless, the natural conditions of the northern and central 
districts are very favorable for growing this cereal, and it is 
expected that the country will produce large quantities of corn 
when the system of cultivation which is now in practice has been 
modified. It is the small farmer who produces the greater part 
of the corn crop, sowing at the same time beans in the corn fields, 
and neither for sowing nor harvesting it are machines of any 
kind employed that would facilitate and cheapen production. 
North American manufacturers of special machinery for the cul¬ 
tivation of corn would find in Chile a very important market 
if they were to advertise the advantages of the same. 
Corn is an important factor as a food of the masses, in either 
its green or ripe state, and there are many native dishes pre¬ 
pared chiefly from corn. The amount used as food in Chile can 
be estimated at 200,000 hectolitres, and an equal amount in 
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