AMONG THE ARGENTINE WHEATFIELDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2985, 31 May 1911, Page 18

AMONG THE ARGENTINE WHEATFIELDS.

NOTES BY A NEW ZEALANDER. The following description of the wheatfields of the Argentine is by Mr J. L. Graham, late of Canterbury, who is at present travelling in the Argentine. It is dated February 22 : "The harvest of 1910-11 will be long remembered as the worst on record in this country. The continual drought, which lasted from the preceding harvest right through sowing time to the harvest of this year, has left its mark on the whole country.

. •'ln the south of the province of Buenos Aires and the Pampa tne grain harvest has been a complete failure. Farmers in New Zealand have no conception what it means to a man in this country when his wheat crop fails. Here there are no fat lambs or dairy cows in the .grain areas to pull one through, so he, has to face absolute .ruin. It has been so bad .here in parts that the farmers in desperation looted the stores for food for their starving families. The Government Bent troops to keep order. It is calculated that in tire south at least half a million acres will Wot give back the seed. In many parts the horses are dead, and unless ram comes, in abundance within a short time, the outlook for the coming year is gloomy. “Talcing the train from Buenos Aires and running out to the province of Cordova, which ie the best grain district in the Argentine, _ one passes through magnificent land. First the natural grassed land, with herds of cattle and sheep, the only cultivation being for maize. Further out the wheat and alfalfa • field)-, are met. The land is leased to settlers on shares, usually 20 per cent, of the crop delivered at the railway station, contracts being for five crops, alfalfa being sown with the last crop. In this province crops have been very good, and for miles nothing but wheat is seen. When the writer passed through harvest was in. full swing. The machine mostly used here is called a header, 12ft out with the horses or oxen yoked behind. Only sufficient of the straw is taken to secure” heads, and in place of being bound it ie elevated, into a waggon, which always follows the machine round. As soon as a waggon jf! loaded it 'goes to the stack, and another pulls into its place. The stacks are made up to 40 yards an length, and although strange looking to the eyes of a Kbw Zealander, they answer their purpose in this place, whe.ro it practically never rains during- the summer. So the loss from dampness or-rain is slight. Threshing is a big expense, usually costing from 5d to 7d per bushel, sometimes higher. The mill is either American or made by our well-known English makers, but of a different design. The engines all burn straw for fuel. A gang of from 18 to 22. micln is required to work the plant. “Passing out of the wheatfields a now arrival gets his first sight of the worldfamed Argentine alfalfa (lucerne) fields and it is a sight to gladden the eyes. For miles, and at times as far as the eye cm see, nothing but a waving sea of green, .grazing thousands of head of cattle. There a.re no hills, only the windmills to -break the monotony. “'Coming further south the only difference noticed is that the header machine has a binding ■ attachment, and the ordinary i reaper and binder holds tire field. Fur- j fiber south again the eoscchadoraa, or i Australian harvesters, are mostly used, and are slowly but surely pushing out all other modes of gathering the grain. The far-

in-ers begin to recognise the great economy of these machines, and large numbers are now sold. A few years ago the only machines of this class seen were the two Australian makes, but now Massey-Harris and Doering are becoming keen competiJ' ors - I have been asked in New Zealand how the Argentine can afford ito grow oats at the prices quoted, which to New Zealanders seem ruinous. This will, partly account for it. Over a grqat part of the Jduenoe Aires province the fine grasses have more or less run out, or are choked out with coarser grasses. To refine the camp they plough andi sow cats, and graze (them until late spring, when the paddocks ar 1 6 . closed u.p, and the oats left for a crop, which is harvested with a ooseohadora at a cost of about 2d a bushel. The crop is quite a secondary, consideration; the man depends on the grazing and the improved state of .ms camp to repay him for his outlay; it is not, necessary to sow grass sc&d, there being sufficient natural seeds in the ground to make a good bed of gr f-ns. l inseed J s harvested to a considerable extent, and those who are fortunate to have a good crop must do well, the price paiid this year being nearly 2d per lb. The farmers well deserve what little good things they get. This is the third harvest, which has been bad, and the weather is now being anxiously watched by everyone. A big rain for a week would not be too muon, and it is to be hoped it conies soon to help all out of a critical position.”