THE ARGENTINE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2603, 3 February 1904, Page 11

THE ARGENTINE.

A NEW ZEAL4NDER'S IMPRESSIONS.

(Feom Oub Own Cobbespondest.) WELLINGTON,, January 26.

Mr W. A. Fitzherbert, who has been on a visit "to his son in the Argentine, has returned, to Wellington, and has given the New Zealand Times some interesting details about that country. He was struck with the magnificent prospects of the Republic from a pastoral and agricultural point of viow. Some of the rivers ars " navigable for 1823 miles. Monte Video, where the new steamers call, has a population of nearly a million and a-quarter. The Argentine is about one-third of the size of the United State?. Th© land! 'has a depth of from 2ft to 4ft of rich, black soil. Estanchios, ranging from 300 to 720,000 acres, are dott&d over this vast territory, that owned by the Baring Bros., of London, boing of the last-montioned size. The crops raised are wheat, maize, and linseed. Mr Fitzherbert stales that on ono place he visited of 120,000 acres he wa3 driven one morning through 40,000 acres of wheat. At another estanchio the labour was in the

hands of Peons (Indians) and half-breeds, who received oOdol (Is 8d th© dollar) per month, with meat rations only given.

The Buenos Ayres district, about the area of Great Britain, and on© of the fourteen provinces, has a rainfall of 35gin per annum, but the northern districts were subject to drought. Water is, however, easily obtainable in all purls by boring, but it never rises higher than six feet below the surface of the country, which is on© vast plain. To raise it to a desirable elevation windmills arc erected, and these are to be sec-n in ve-rjr direction. Occasionally the water struck is brackish. If so the settlers simply bore 20 yards, and in most cases strike it quite fresh and pure.

The population of the Argentine is 5,000,000 — not a twentieth of what it can. accommodate, — and the rate of increase is 40 per cent., as against 20 per cent, in the United States. The province of Buenos Ayres, the best sheap country in the Republic, and blessed with a fine natural gra^-s, contains 120,000 square miles, aud has 150 miles of coaot line. Th-e estimated number of cattle in that district in 1901 was 10,000,000. There were also 32,000.000 she^. and 2,000,000 horses. In addition, there was raised 762,000 tons of wheat, 1,360.000 tons of maize, and other valuable pastoral and agricultural products to the value of 742,000,000d01.

The wheat area of Buenos Ay res, SanteFe Cordoba, and Contre Rios districts totals no less than 9,000,000 acres, while the total area tinder crop was 17,600,000 acre.s, an area greatly added to last year.

In 1901 the Republic had 30,000,000 hea,d of cattlo, 5,600,000 horses (seven to each head of copulation), and 120,000,000 sheep. Tho fpecialty of Paraguay, in the north, is tho preparation of salted or jerked b&of, and for thia purpose- alone in that district 1,000,000 heajd of cattle were killed in 1901. In this district are tbe- world-famous works of Lie-big, the manufacturer of beef extract. Mr Fitzherbert stares that there are at present four large freezing works at Buenos Ayres, and three now ones aro about to bo erected. At Campana, a little way up the river, are other works, and tho large ocean steamers are enabled to line along the bank of the river right underneath the works and there receive cargoes of frozen mutton and chilled beef. The Argentine is run by the Government on Protectionist lines, and Customs duties are almost its sole source of reveuue. Th© English population in the Argentine numbers about 40,000. Englishmen are mostly in charge of railways, docks, banks, and freezing work-. Tlve dairy industiy, which five* ye-ars ago was practically nil, is now in full swing. An instance showing tho strides that are being made in this direction is the case, of Mr Reynolds, who had a small dairy farm in Auckland three years ago. He> went to the Argentine, and succeeded in organising a small cooperative company. That company at the present time is turning out three tons of butter per day, and has machinery to double that output. " Signor Santa Marina, one of the directors, who has a large estanchio carrying 100,000 head of cattle, was so struck with tho new industry that ho eommeaioad dairying operations, and is now milking 9000 to 10,00*0 cows per day. " With a country like this," says Mr Fitzherbe-rt, "What chance has New Zealand got with its butter? " There must be

a drop this year, and for all time, for we cannot hold a candle to thorn. It is so obvious. A man can ge>t land there at £2 per acre equal to the best in Taranaki, which costs £30 to £40 per acre."

The country, howover, has its drawbacks — lack of coal and timber, stock diseases, and locust plaguos. In the northern districts there is, however, now an excellent staff of veterinarians. In conclusion, Mr Fitzherbort says that it is no use going to th© Argentine without capital, and to mako a decent start between £2000 and £3000 is needed. The best plan is to work there for a while to get used to the country, and, before all, to learn the language, which is Spanish. Without knowing the language one would suffer much inconvenience, and, if in business, perhaps seriously in pocket. New Zealand cannot hold out against this wonderful 'country in dairying, but hei thinks it will with sheep.