Book: Argentina From A British Point Of View

V >> Various >> Argentina From A British Point Of View




If one digs up with great care a root of alfalfa (it need not be an old
plant, the youngest plant will show the same peculiarity), and care is
taken in exposing the root (perhaps the best method is the washing away
of the surrounding earth by water), some small nodules attached to the
fine, hair-like roots are easily distinguished by the naked eye, and
these nodules are the home of a teeming, microscopical, industrious
population, who perform their allotted work with the silent, persistent
energy so often displayed in Nature. Men of science have been able to
identify at least three classes of these bacteria, and to ascertain the
work accomplished by each. The reason for their existence would seem to
be that one class is able to convert the nitrogen in the air into
ammonia, whilst others work it into nitrite, and the third class so
manipulate it as to form a nitrate which is capable of being used for
plant food.

Now, although one ton of alfalfa removes from the soil 50 lb. of
nitrogen, yet that crop leaves the soil richer in nitrogen, because the
alfalfa has encouraged the multiplication of those factories which
convert some of the thousands of tons of nitrogen floating above the
earth into substance suitable for food for plant life. As a dry fodder
for cattle three tons of alfalfa contains as much nutrition as two tons
of wheat.

The cost of growing alfalfa greatly depends upon the situation of the
land to be dealt with; also upon whether labour is plentiful or not;
but, in order to give some idea of the advantage of growing this cattle
food, we will imagine the intrinsic value of the undeveloped land to be
L4,000, upon which, under existing conditions, it would be possible to
keep 1,000 head of animals, whereas if this same land were under alfalfa
3,000 to 3,500 animals would be fattened thereon, and the land would
have increased in value to L20,000 or L30,000.

Now, if the undeveloped land is to be improved, it becomes necessary
either to work it yourself, with your own men, in which case you must
provide ploughs, horses, bullocks, etc., or to carry out the plan
usually adopted, that of letting the land to colonists who have had some
experience in this class of work. Usually a colonist will undertake to
cultivate from 500 to 600 acres, and agrees to pay to the landowner
anything from 10 per cent. to 30 per cent. of his crops according to the
distance of the land from the railway. The colonist brings his
agricultural tackle along with him, and establishes his house (usually a
most primitive affair), digs his well, and then proceeds to plough. In
this work the whole family joins; the father leads the way, followed by
the eldest child, and all the others in rotation, with the wife bringing
up the rear; she keeps a maternal eye upon the little mite, who with
great gusto and terrific yells manages somehow to cling to the plough
and to do his or her share with the rest. Is it to be wondered at that
work progresses fast under these conditions? There is but one idea
prevalent in the family, namely, that time and opportunity are with
them.

The first crop grown on newly-broken ground is usually maize; the second
year's crop is linseed, and perhaps a third year's crop--probably
wheat--is grown by the colonist before the land is handed back to the
owner ready to be put down in alfalfa. The colonist's cultivation of the
land will have effectually killed off the natural rough grasses which
would otherwise grow up and choke the alfalfa. Sometimes the alfalfa is
sown with the colonist's last crop, and in such cases the landowner
finds the alfalfa seed, and during the sowing of this crop it is very
advisable that either he or his agent should be in constant attendance,
because the after results greatly depend upon the care with which the
seeding has been done. When the colonist's contract is completed he
moves on to another part, and the owner, who has year by year received a
percentage of the crops, takes back his land. Considerable outlay has
now to be made in fences, wells, and buildings; the more there are of
these the better, the land will carry a larger head of cattle and the
control of them is easy when the camp has been properly divided.

The colonists are generally Italians. They are an industrious and kindly
people, hardy and quiet, well content with their surroundings, careful
and frugal in their living, and many thousands could go back to their
own country with wealth which has been acquired by constant and
assiduous attention to the economies of life.

It has often been said that an Englishman will starve where an Italian
will thrive, and in some respects this is true; but it would be better
expressed if it were stated that an Italian can adapt himself to
circumstances better than an Englishman. At the same time, I doubt if an
Italian would come off best were the two placed on a desert island where
instantaneous action, grit, and endurance were called for.

Many things are said of an Englishman, and none fits his character
better than that which gives him the privilege of "grumbling," and this
characteristic becomes more marked when he is able to grumble with one
of his own kith and kin. I have heard Argentines praise Englishmen, who,
they say, manage their estancias far and away beyond all others, but at
the same time they have told me that they would never allow two
Englishmen on their place at once.

It has been said that many of the immigrants do not intend to settle in
the country. Probably this idea has gained ground on account of the
large numbers of the labouring population, who are attracted to
Argentina by the high wages ruling during the harvest time, and then
find it pays them to go home and secure the European harvest, but
generally these men come out again to stay. They have acquired a
knowledge of the country, and often enough have also acquired an
interest in some land, and they return, bringing their families, to
adopt Argentina as their home--for a period at least.

A glance at the statistics prepared by the authorities in Buenos Aires
shows that during the last fifty-two years 4,250,980 persons entered as
immigrants, and out of this number only 1,690,783 returned, leaving in
the country 2,560,197 individuals, or an average of 50,000 workers per
annum. These figures have become even more marked of recent years.
Taking the last five years, the country has received on an average
249,000 immigrants per annum; of these, 103,000 went back. In other
words, 727,670 have made their homes within the borders of Argentina
during the past five years, and of these at least 500,000 were
agriculturists.

It is not to be wondered at, then, that the exports, chiefly made up of
agricultural produce, have shown extraordinary progress. Facing this
page is a diagram showing the agricultural exportation from 1900 to
1908.

[Illustration: AGRICULTURAL EXPORTATION INCLUDING WHEAT, LINSEED, OATS,
MAIZE, ETC.]

[Illustration: CULTIVATED AREA IN HECTARES. (1 HECTARE = 2.471 ACRES)]

Nothing can be more eloquent than the figures shown in this diagram.
This remarkable progress, almost steady in its upward march, is not in
one direction only. Argentina is an ideal country for agriculturists,
and in every branch of that industry progress has been made. Greater
care is being taken to-day in working up the by-products of the cattle
business. More varied crops are being grown, and vegetable by-products
are being economically looked after. The forests of Argentina are also
being worked for the benefit of mankind. The Quebracho Colorado tree
forms a very important item of export. It is sent out of the country
either in the form of logs, of which no less than 254,571 tons were
exported in 1908, or in the form of an extract for tanning purposes;
48,162 tons of this extract were made and exported in 1908, and a small
quantity of the wood was exported in the shape of sawdust. The total
value of Quebracho Colorado exported in various forms in that year was,
as already stated, L1,200,000. This means that the Quebracho forests are
being depleted at the rate of half a million tons per annum for export
purposes alone, in addition to the enormous quantities used for
sleepers, etc., in the country.

The area in acres under cultivation for the year 1908 was 46,174,250, an
increase of 265 per cent, on the land under cultivation in the year
1895.

The diagram facing this page shows the area in hectares cultivated from
1897 to 1908:--

WHEAT--The area under cultivation for wheat shows an increase of 89 per
cent, in ten years from--

8,000,000 acres in cultivation in 1898, to
15,157,750 " " " " 1908

LINSEED--shows an increase of 361 per cent, from--

831,972 acres in cultivation in 1898, to
3,835,750 " " " " 1908

MAIZE--increased by 250 per cent., and other crops, including Oats, 300
per cent. in the same period.

The United Kingdom purchased from Argentina and retained for its own use
(in round figures) during the year 1908--

WHEAT to the value of L13,000,000
MAIZE " " 5,600,000
FROZEN MEAT " " 9,300,000
-----------
Making a total of L27,900,000
-----------

Indeed, we buy from Argentina nearly 25 per cent. of our total food
purchased abroad, and she supplies nearly 29 per cent. of our corn and
grain requirements. These figures again clearly demonstrate that we have
a vital interest in the well-being of our friends across the sea.

In every direction Argentina has progressed, and judging from the past
we may look with confidence to the future; the total area of the
Republic is 776,064,000 acres, and certainly it is within the bounds of
reasonable forecast to consider that 100,000,000 acres of this land will
be, when opened up by railways, and other facilities, available for
corn-growing. To-day only one-fifth of this available area is being
cultivated, and another 43,000,000 acres are being utilised for feeding
purposes; thus, only 63,000,000 out of 776,000,000 acres are being
occupied. The chief reason why more is not utilised is because there is
not sufficient labour available.

Argentina has 5 inhabitants per square mile.
Russia " 18 " "
Canada, Newfoundland, etc. " 1-1/2 " "
Australia " 1-1/3 " "
U. Kingdom " 364 " "
Belgium " 625 " "
Germany " 290 " "

Not only is there an enormous tract of land lying dormant, but the
productive power of land now under cultivation may be vastly increased
if farmers will devote their attention to improving the conditions of
cultivation. 11.3 bushels of wheat per acre is not high-class farming,
yet this is the average production for Argentina. Manitoba in 1908
produced 13-1/2 bushels per acre, Saskatchewan, 17 bushels. In the
fourteenth century England only produced 10 bushels per acre, but we
have improved this yield to 30 bushels, while Roumania has increased her
yield from 15 bushels per acre in 1890, to 23 bushels in 1908. France
has increased her yield from 17 bushels in 1884, to 20 bushels in 1908.
Germany has increased her yield per acre from 20 bushels in 1899, to 30
bushels in 1908. So that we may not only look forward to a greater area
being placed under cultivation, but we may reasonably expect heavier
crops, if land proprietors will bring science to bear on their work of
development. Indeed, with land rising in price, with an increasing
influx of immigrants, and with more intelligent cultivation of the soil,
the land must of necessity give a far larger yield than it has done
heretofore.

The following tables, taken from the Board of Trade returns, show from
whence England draws some of her supplies. They also show how
prominently Argentina figures as a food producer. The first table
includes corn and meat; the second gives corn alone, and the third meat
alone:--

FOOD IMPORTED INTO AND RETAINED BY THE UNITED KINGDOM IN 1908.

CORN (including wheat, barley, oats, rye,
buckwheat, peas, beans, maize, wheatmeal,
flour, oatmeal, and offals) L71,103,487

MEAT, fresh and frozen (including animals
for food) 48,704,613

Total L119,808,100

Of this--

L Per Cent.
Argentina supplied 29,569,773 or 24.68
U.S.A. supplied 38,229,135 or 31.90
Russia supplied 7,394,607 or 6.18
Canada supplied 11,907,203 or 9.94
Australia (including
Tasmania) supplied 4,520,244 or 3.77
Other Colonies and Foreign
Countries supplied 28,187,138 or 23.53

L119,808,100 or 100.00

* * * * *

CORN IMPORTED INTO AND RETAINED BY THE UNITED KINGDOM IN 1908.

Argentina. U.S.A. Russia. Canada. Australia
(including
Tasmania).


L L L L L
Wheat ... ... | 13,096,812 10,779,221 2,286,180 6,335,329 2,402,988
|
Barley ... ... | 22,943 733,446 2,622,005 205,697 --
|
Oats ... ... | 1,463,368 -- 1,144,387 6,441 --
|
Rye ... ... | -- 129,691 93,066 49,009 --
|
Buckwheat ... ... | -- -- 6,677 -- --
|
Peas ... ... | -- 38,545 42,279 105,495 2,345
|
Beans (not fresh, |
other than Haricot|
Beans) ... ... | -- -- 15,094 -- --
|
Maize ... ... | 5,603,463 2,023,576 1,107,858 44,822 --
|
Wheatmeal |
and Flour ... | 50,597 5,407,119 80 809,479 119,440
|
Oatmeal and |
Rolled Oats ... | -- 183,334 -- 207,516 --
|
Farinaceous sub- |
stances (except |
Starch, Farina, |
Dextrine, and |
Potato Flour) | -- 99,112 -- 59,302 --
|
Bran and Pollard | 11,932 -- -- -- --
|
Sharps and |
Middlings | 35,113 -- -- -- --
|
Maize Meal | -- 129,543 -- -- --
----+-----------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------
L 20,284,228 | 19,523,587 | 7,317,626 | 7,823,090 | 2,524,773
----------------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------
Percentage 28.53% | 27.46% | 10.29% | 11.00% | 3.56%
----------------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------


* * * * *

Other
Colonies and
Foreign Total.
Countries.

L L
13,630,183[C] 71,103,487

---------------+-------------+
13,630,183 | 71,103,487 |
---------------+-------------+
19.16% | = 100% |
---------------+-------------+

* * * * *

MEAT, including animals for food, and fresh, chilled, frozen and tinned,
imported into and retained by the United Kingdom in 1908:

L Per Cent.

Argentina supplied 9,285,545 or 19.07
U.S.A. " 18,705,548 " 38.41
Russia " 76,981 " 0.16
Canada " 4,084,113 " 8.38
Australia (including Tasmania)
supplied 1,995,471 " 4.10
Other Colonies and Foreign
Countries supplied[D] 14,556,955 " 29.88

48,704,613 " 100.00



The lesson shown here is one worthy of attention. We see that Argentina
supplies England with one-fourth of her imported food, and U.S.A.
supplies nearly one-third. Therefore it behoves both England and
Argentina to see that America does not so manipulate things that she
acquires the control over our meat and food supplies.

Argentine authorities should not only exercise the law sanctioned
February 4th, 1907, concerning the inspection of factories, but they
should enforce greater care in seeing that all Argentine saladeros and
packing-houses are manipulated with intense care, and cleanliness should
be insisted upon; it would be a bad day for Argentina should ever such
an outcry be raised against her saladeros as that which a few years ago
was directed against the North American packing houses and for a time
ruined the canning industry of the United States, and yet we find
American methods being introduced into Argentina without let or
hindrance. If our soldiers and sailors are to be fed upon canned meats,
let those who are responsible for purchasing the food, at least see that
the food is prepared under healthy and sanitary conditions.

The corn-growing industry of the Argentine Republic is an intensely
interesting subject. Before railways and steamships brought the foreign
producer into close competition with our own farmers, Argentina did not
produce enough grain to supply her home consumption, and cattle were
bred only for their hides, tallow and bones. In the course of time, when
steamers superseded sailing-ships and the world's carrying capacity
thus became enormously increased, Argentina saw her opportunity of
becoming a keen competitor in the food market. Corn-growing became a
highly remunerative business, although much still remains to be learned
concerning the handling of wheat. Both in the States and Canada grain is
handled in a cheaper and more expeditious manner than in Argentina. An
enormous amount of grain is dealt with in the Wheat Exchange of
Winnipeg, but a further big impetus will be given to this industry when
the wheat-fields of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba are connected
with a deep-sea port on Hudson Bay; this will be an accomplished fact in
1915, and as this route means a thousand miles less haulage by land, and
eight hundred less by sea to the chief European ports than by any
existing route, it is bound to become the popular one; the chief factor,
however, in making it a useful wheat outlet is the established fact that
Hudson Bay, although many miles north of Lake Superior, remains free
from ice for a period of one month after Lake Superior is tightly frozen
up.

Argentina may look forward to keen competition with Canada and Siberia
for many years to come; on the other hand, the U.S.A. will steadily show
a smaller quantity of wheat available for exportation, and the following
table throws some light upon the wheat position:--

Argentina and Uruguay have increased
the area of their wheat-growing
land brought under the plough in
the last ten years by 124 per cent.
Canada in the last ten years by 120 per cent.
Russia in the last ten years by 27 per cent.
United States in the last ten years by 14 per cent.

No country in the world has shown such wonderful capabilities for
growing linseed as the Argentine, and her average production for the
following five-year periods show this expansion:--

Years. Production in Tons.
1894-1898 193,000
1899-1903 382,000
1904-1908 839,000

In ten years she increased her production by 335 per cent. In the same
period India increased her production by 3.8 per cent., and North
America by 105 per cent., whilst Russia was unable to keep up her
supply.

The world's total linseed production for 1908 was made up as follows:--

Argentina produced 1,101,000 tons.
North America produced 694,000 tons.
Russia produced 470,000 tons.
India produced 360,000 tons.

Here again we find Argentina leading. Moreover, she exported nearly the
whole of her production, whilst North America, Russia, and India
exported less than half a million tons between them.

It is more than probable that by 1920 Argentina will be able to export,
as the result of agricultural work, more than L100,000,000 worth of
produce per annum. It is interesting to note that, as the present
figures reveal, allowing for a population of 6,500,000 and an
agricultural produce export of L48,335,432, each individual in Argentina
has sent abroad, after producing enough from the land to keep himself,
goods to the value of nearly L8.

The diagram facing this page shows what has been accomplished by
Argentina in the last ten years.

[Illustration: DIAGRAM OF VALUE IN L STERLING OF THE TOTAL EXPORTS OF
ARGENTINA 1900-1909.]

In actual money value the exportation of wheat, linseed, oats, maize,
other grain, flour, bran, and middlings is, in round figures, as
follows:--

1900 L15,485,000
1901 14,319,000
1902 13,634,000
1903 21,050,000
1904 30,065,000
1905 34,047,000
1906 31,530,000
1907 32,818,000
1908 48,335,000
1909 46,100,000

CATTLE.

The value derived from the cattle industry and its allied produce is of
great importance to the Argentine Republic. The exports from this
industry may be divided into four heads, namely:--

LIVE ANIMALS;

RAW PRODUCTS;

MANUFACTURED OR PARTLY MANUFACTURED MATERIAL AND BY-PRODUCTS.

Since the closing of English ports in 1901 to the importation of live
cattle from Argentina, the trade in the export of live stock has fallen
off considerably; the total value did not in 1908 amount to more than
L568,966; Belgium took 65,224 sheep, Chili took 45,114 cattle and 14,394
sheep, Bolivia took 3,383 head of cattle and 10,676 sheep, and 16,000
asses and mules, while horses were imported into England, Africa,
Portugal, Brazil, Uruguay, Chili, Bolivia, and Paraguay.

Exports of raw products, which include frozen and chilled beef and
mutton, hides, sheepskins, wool, and such things as horsehair, tallow,
jerked beef, etc., represented a value of L19,549,231 in 1908.

Manufactured or partly manufactured material, including prepared tallow,
meat extracts, meat, butter, cheese, lard, dressed leather, etc.,
represented L2,454,760, whilst the by-products, including bones, dried
blood, guano, waste fats, etc., were valued at L430,734. Thus,
Argentina's total export from the cattle industry (after supplying her
own needs) was over L23,000,000.

Argentina's live stock on hand when the last census was taken in May,
1908, was as follows:--

Cattle ... ... ... 29,116,625
Sheep ... ... ... 67,211,758
Horses ... ... ... 7,531,376
Mules, swine,
goats, and asses 6,098,802

representing in value L129,369,628.

The favourite breed of cattle is the Shorthorn, and they comprise 84 per
cent, of the classified breeding cows; the Herefords only figure out as
6 per cent., but, undoubtedly, a more careful and complete
classification will lead to modifications in these figures, for at the
present time no less than five and a-half million cows are returned as
Criollo cattle, in other words, unimproved stock.

Not until the year 1885, when it became possible to send frozen meat to
Europe, did estancieros pay serious attention to growing cattle for meat
production, and now, with an ever-increasing quantity of land being
placed under alfalfa, the Argentine Republic is fast becoming the
leading factor in the production of meat to satisfy the world's
consumption.

Cattle on the outside fringe of occupied lands are still very coarse and
rough, with a distinct strain of the Hereford about them; they are,
however, a useful herd and most suitable for the districts they occupy,
where they often have to undergo the hardships of shortage of pasture
owing to drought, and little or no water, indeed, it is a marvel how
these animals exist at times; and assuredly no refined breed of cattle
could live where the Criollos not only manage to thrive, but generally
to return a satisfactory result to their owners. The cattle on ranches
which are nearer to the seaports, manufacturing centres, or railway
stations show distinct improvements. Greater care is bestowed upon them,
and the main consideration is never lost sight of--it is the ambition of
every estanciero to have his cattle graded up so that they are looked
upon as "freezers," which means that they are good enough to be
purchased by one or other of the refrigerating companies, who take
nothing but the best.

In 1888 cattle running the northern camps (which then represented the
extreme outlying posts) were only valued at $6 per head.

In 1890 the value had risen to $10 per head.
" 1900 " " " 15 "
" 1908 " " " 28 "
" 1910 " " " 40 "

Copyright (c) 2007. knowncrafts.net. All rights reserved.