OUR ARGENTINE LETTER.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14292, 1 March 1912, Page 4

OUR ARGENTINE LETTER.

(FROM OTTO OWN" COBRESrON'DENT.) BUENOS AYRES, January 10. HARVESTING IN RAIN, STORM, AND A RAILWAY STRIKE. With farmers in every country there is found fat- and loan years; but per- ; haps very few countries have so many vicissitudes to contend with almost every year as the agriculturists of this Republic. The importance of a plentiful harvest is not only a rocessity to the farmers but of tho groatest importance to the country generally. After two years of intense and prolonged drought, and a constant struggle against the natural elements with lamentable damage and loss to tho farmers, the campaign has been developed in exceptionally • favourable conditions almost up to tho time of harvesting. Apart from all consideration of yield or climatic influence, it' may be noted that this yeaf alone 998,630 hectares additional land had been sown with the three chief cereals (wheats linseed and oata), or 20,367,082 hectares, which corresponds to 3.761 hectares for each, inhabitant (a hectares is equal to 2J acres). -With such an extent of territory sown, the eyes of all tho world wore directed to this country, hoping for a magnificent yield; but all theso hopes were shattered when, last, month, just as luvr-vo-tiog was in full operation, we were visited by a succession of severe storms of wind and heavy rain. Now wo are in tho midst of a railway strike and it is with great difficulty and expense that cereals can bo got into markets and ports. As to the damage done to the crops by the last rain and storm during Christmas week, and subsequently there aro somewhat contradictory reports from many parts; but tho particulars i received from tho officials of the four ! principal railways running through tho cereal-growing zones may be relied upon. Each reports serious damage to the crops around tho Federal capital, the area of loss extending to Rosario, west to Junin, and south to de Mayo and Chascomus. Within these limits I tho damage to wheat and oats ranges j from completa destruction to 50 per I cent., while with regard to tho linseed | the Central Argentine Railway reports i that in the neighbourhood of Pergaj mino. Baradero, San Albano, Melingue, ' and San Nicolas, the harvest may be ; considered a total loss. This,'however, appears to be the worst of tho tale, as outside the above black -one the stato of affairs is less gloomy than might have been expected. On tho Great Southern _one gocd crops of wheat and oats are looked for. as hero no heavy rains have fallen. From tho Pampa district of the samo railway, which lies north and west of " Bahia Blanca, excellent reports havo been received, and the samo good news comes from the Buenos Ayres and Pacific railway as regards tho crops along its 'lino from Bahia Blanca to Huinca Ronaco, south of Pico a record yield for tho Pampa is estimated. In tho Cuyo provinces tho outlook is very promising, as they have just had enough rain. On the western railway over the whole lino a loss of 25 per cent, of the estimated harvests is predicted. If all these reports are analysed and summed np, it appears that tho excellent _eason that was at one time anticipated will not materialise, owing to these late rains, and tho returns for wheat and oats will be something oelow an average year. Unfortunately, linseed las suffered ipery- "severely- though the

prico is very satisfactory for what has been harvested in good condition. Ono incident, is recorded by a farmer in th© Entrc Rios district: after tho storm ot the 27th ult. he went out to ascertain the damage done to his crops, and found all tho wheat had been blown down, while of a big area of linseed, which had been recently cut, all that remained wero a few straws which had been caught on the wire fences, tho rest had disappeared before tlie wind. Other farmers liad similar experiences. The prolonged wet weather had not only retarded the reaping but tho threshing of the crops That were able to bo saved, while much wheat tiireshcd is so wot that it can only be sold for feeding pigs. Maize has vet to como. and in many of tho ■districts where wheat and oats are lost fais.cereal is being sown, and from all parts where it had already been sown the news of its condition is good. LABOUR MATTERS. . With' regard to immigration from foreign countries, this was vory much affected by this Government insisting during, the past two < years upon its own medical officers boarding at Itio do Janeiro all steamers from Italy (especially during the cholera epidemic there), inspecting tho immigrants and enforcing strict quarantine regulations l>efore allowing them to land- Therefore, instead of a total of 506,656 (as in 1910), the Italiahs who arrived bore last year only numbered 52,729 persons. The' total emigrants of all nationalities during tho past year was 188,608. as compared with 1,238,073 tho previous year. Amongst the total thero wero only 1435 English, and 319 • North American immigrants. EXPORTS OF FROZEN MEATS. During last year tho total exportation of frozen meat reached the following grand totals: —4,104,515 carcases sheep and lambs; 1,693,494 quarters frozen beef; and 2,131,791 quarters chilled beef. If the exportation of live cattle last year shows a great reduction fs compared with other years, owing to tho ports of the United Kingdom being closed, the exports of frozen and chilled meat have demonstrated, in oxchange, a great increase. In the last year (1900) that tho ports of tho United Kingdom wore open to tho landing of vivo cattle from this country, tho number of head exported was 34,024, and from tho freezing works as preserved meat*, 06,571 head, from which time the latter has continued to augment at tho rate of from 500,000 to 600,000 head per annum. EXPORT OF WOOL. Tho reduced. export of wool last (year is accounted for by the diminution of stock to tho extent of over seven million on a total of seventyfour million sheep, according to tho census, of a few years ago. However, the improvement of tho breed of sheep has increased the amount of capital jn this stock, whilo the averago of 150,000 tons of wool exported annually during recent years represents an equal or oven greater value than was obtained in years when the quantity was greater, but the quality inferior."