AROUND THE WORLD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10769, 15 May 1913, Page 1

AROUND THE WORLD.

A NEW ZEALANDER'S TRIP. INTERESTING EXPERIENCES. Mr R. R. Coe, who has returned to Christchurch from a trip around tho world, has had some novel experiences, and has made interesting observations, quito out of the line of the usual tourist. HARVESTING IN THE ARGENTINE. Mr Coo is a farmer, and in South America ho went out of his way to obtain a-n insight into farming methods there. He proceeded as far south as Bahia Blanca and as far north as Concordia, and at Trasorroyses he engaged in harvesting work, for the sake of obtaining the knowledge and tho experience. In an interview yesterday, Mr Coo said that tho farmers there used_ a harvester, like the binder used in New Zealand, but without the binding apparatus, having in its place an elevator between six and eight feet long. By that means, the work was done very quickly, but it was necessary to have dry weather, in order that the grain should get into the proper condition to be dealt with. CHEAP LABOUR.

Most of the labour was Spanish, Italian, or native Argentine, and itwas decidedly cheap, only 3s 4d a day being paid for harvesting. The farmer usually supplied the "keep," but the labourers were accustomed to frugal living, and, to use a common and expressive term, lived on "the smell of an oil-rag." The harvesters were ready to start operations as soon as the sun rose, and they continued until sunset. Tn the middlo of the hottest days of summer, they had a break of two hours. Skilled labourers, such as railway engineers, earned between 5s 6d and 6s 6d a day. The climate in the summer was somewhat warm, but, apparently, those who went to live in the country soon became acclimatised. Stupendous quantities of wheat wero grown, and also a great deal of oats. Then* were vast tracts of lucerne country, and there, usually, supplies of water existed under the surface. VALUABLE SHORTHORN BULL. Dairying was successful in those parts. Mixed farming, also, was in vogue. As to cattle, Shorthorns were the favourite breed, and some of them were exceedingly beautiful animals. On one occasion he saw a superb imported Shorthorn bull, which was sold for £2OOO. Tho native cattle wero seen practically only in the bush counifjfi of the north. A TREELESS COUNTRY. lo a resident of Canterbury, most of the Argentine was very monotonous to the eye. It was aero upon acre avid mile upon mile of treeless plains, as flat as a billiard-table, as far as the eye could see. In those parts which he visited, the climate was too dry in the summer, but the farmers, on tho whole, were prosperous. The common tongue was Spanish, and the social conditions, the ideas and tho general laws of life were quite different from those in New Zealand. fiat account, a New Zealander founo ..imself isolated. If he had -sufficient wealth to be able to choose the country iiKwhich he would live, he. probablv, would not select ilw Argentine. As far as he could see, "She country was well provided with a railway system. British companies owned the railway lines.; Germans erected the electrical works, and Americana"--.supplied the farming implements and machines.

AT THE PANAMA CANAL. Mr Coe did not see the southern part of Chili. The northern part, as far as he could judge, he said, was somewhat barren. At Panama, he was interested in the great works taken in hand by the American nation. The enterprise was well forward. When he was there, a start was made to fill the lake in the centre. lie was impressed with the remarkable strength of the stupendous spades, shoveki rnd machines used, all worked by steam or electricity. On the other hand, a feeling of depression was caused by. the sight of tho costly machinery of She French engineers, lying rusting on the hanks. The greatest thing of all, to his mind, was the determined and successful fight waged in that region against malarial fever. At almost any time, a large army of men could be seen walking along the banks, carrying ordinary sprayers on their backs, spraying the place with crude oil to destroy the malarial mosquitoes. The climate was pleasant on the Panama side when he was there. FURTHER. WANDERINGS. In his wanderings. Mr Coe went to Kansas City, San Francisco, Chicago, New York and other notable places in America, and also spent some time in Great Britain. Like other travellers from these parts, he was astonished by London's huge traffic, and he was depressed with the signs of much poverty.