NOTES FROM THE ARGENTINE.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11689, 16 September 1903, Page 5

NOTES FROM THE ARGENTINE.

HEAVY RAINS IN JUNE

Writing under date Juno 27th, “The Re view of the River Plate" says:—The heavy rains of the past month have caused numerous rivers throughout the republic t« overflow their banks. In the province ot Buenos Ayres the Sakido is again out, and great damage lias been done to stock. I lit loss among the young lambs has been very great. In the north the same thing h;u occurred. The state of all the roads ii so bad that, it is absolutely impossible u bring produce into the railway stations. The ploughing operations have also beet considerably hampered, and any seed that has been put into the ground is sure to have .suffered. The cold change that eam< in has been much wanted, and it is to b< hoped that it- will continue. I lie cantpi have had ample rain and are in splendid condition, there being a- superabundance of food for the live stock during the winter. So far there have been no frosts tin provinces of Cordoba, Santa Fe or I.ntrt Rios and only a few mild ones in som< parts of e province of Buenos Ayres. THE MEAT FREEZING INDUSTRY. The Santa Fe Legislature having sanctioned the project exonerating freezing companies in that province from all taxation for a period of thirty years, the twe companies which were being formed itRosario have been endeavouring to amalgamate, but without success. Some people will be sorry (adds the "Review”) that- the; have invested their money in freezing works in this country before many years are over.

Mr Frederick Nelson, on his return tc London from Buenos Ayres, said be had not completed arrangements for the acquisition of a site at La Plata for the erection of freezing works, but iie told t lie “British Australasian*' that it is likely enough that by and by Nelson Brothen will have their freezing establishment there, or in that neighbourhood, to implement. tho meat freezing and shipping operations which the company have so lons carried on in New Zealand, to the very great advantage of the farmers and others in the Hawke’s Bay and other districts. The directors of the River Plate Fresh Meat Company, in their report for the year ending April 30th, 1903, state that the profits for the year amounted tc £272,475, and a dividend is proposed o! 10 per cent, on the preferred shares, Id per cent, on the ordinary shares, and a bonus of 3s on these latter: £69.960 wat placed to reserve, and £10,378 carried for ward. The dividends for the jiast sn years have been:— Ordinary, 1897-8. 6pei cent.; 1898-1900, 7 per cent.; 1900-1. W per cent, and 2 per cent, bonus ; 1-01-2, 10 per cent, and 4 per cent bonus; 1902-O, 10 per cent- and 15 per. cent, bonus. Preference, 1897-8 to 1901-3, 10 per cent. The Wakanui, which left for London in June, carried—s4S2 quarters beef, 34,1 A carcases mutton, 35,908 carcases lamb, 50N carcases rabbits, 5004 legs mutton, 430 kidneys, 3012 bales wool, 1018 bales naXi 460 casks tallow, 353 sacks pelts, 360 sackl peas, 38 bales feathers, 1661 cases gum, 925 boxes shells, 1860 sacks grass seed, 12 packages skins, 1596 bags maize Iron Monte Video for Teneriffe, 12 cases fresh meat from Monte Video. ; LOSS OF CATTLE BY DROUGHT. The Governor of the Province of Entrn Rios in his message at- the opening of the Provincial Legislature on June 19th stated that due to the drought and gurrapata about 500,000 head of cattle had been lost to the province during tho past few years, but that at tho present time this ntnubei had almost been replaced again, and the stock to-day is nearly the same as that for 1901, being 2,728,976, against 2,738,034, on December 31st, 1901. Sheep on the other hand show a considerable increase, os on December 31sb, 1901, they numbered 5,054,710, and on December 31st; 1902, they were 5,969,828, an increase of 905,118 for the year. Of this numbpf 80,230 are nearly thoroughbred, 4,989,597 are mestizo, and 890,000 criollo. There is also an increase in the number of horses, these having been 515,447 in 1901, and 565,610 in 1902, an increase of 45,963. A PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS.

'During April, May, and June _ large swarms of locusts laid their eggs in the provinces of Oatamarca, Rioja, and Santiago, and the “crawlers without wings” were, at the end of June, appearing, and then already covered an area, of 300 miles by 300 miles. The danger was threatening to assume alarming proportions when the mail left, as the “flyers” were moving south. “The locusts were advancing rapidly to the agricultural zone of the Republic. Having entered the Province of Gatumarca at the North West, they had taken possession of the centre of this province and the departments .of Andalgala, Beleri, Cafallan, Poman, An taste, and La. Paz were all infested. Likewise in Santiago del Estero they were to be met- with in the districts of Jimenez 1., Figueroa, Jimenez 11., Sulipica, Choza, Loreto, and Robles; in La Rioja the infested districts were Avanco, Castro Barros, Los Sauces, Juarez Celman, and Independence. It was then feated that the winds would gradually bring the swarms to the regions under cultivation, and very energetic measures would have to be taken to combat the pest.