The rapid increase in the cultivated area is to a great extent due to European immigration, the newcomers settling in colonies, living in accordance with their own customs, and using their own methods of cultivation. The first colony thus founded consisted of Swiss peasants, who came to Argentina in 1856; in 1S74 there were 32 colonies, tilling 12,900 acres; in 1884 the munher of colonies increased to 85, the area under cultivation to 86,000 acres; in 1895 the census records 709 colonies, wan a very large increase in the number of acres under cul tivation. The wonderfully rapid growth of colonies is explained by the very liberal immi gration laws of the 1Zepuldie, alluring induce ments being held out to immigrants, who are given, in some of the provinces, large tracts of land, provisions. and implements with which to begin farming life in the new country.
The most important crop in Argentina, from a commercial point of view, is wheat. Barley, oats, potatoes, flax, tobacco, and other European crops are also extensively raised. Sugar-eane is cultivated in the northeast with considerable success, and the cultivation of cotton has been recently introduced. The fruits raised are of the tropical and semi-tropical varieties, includ ing oranges. olives, figs, grapes, and dates. Silk-worm culture, for which the climate seems to he splendidly adapted, is also receiving con siderable attention. The following figures illus trate the growth of the agricultural industry in Argentina: In 188S the area devoted to the cultivation of wheat was 2,014,947 acres, in 1895 it was 5,064,767, an increase of about 150 per cent- in seven years. The area de voted to the cultivation of corn in the corre sponding years was respectively 1,980,724 and 3,074,374 showing an increase of over 50 per cent. The area under flax increased from 299,246 acres in ISSS to 957,073 acres in 1895. or more than 200 per cent. The area under barley increased from 23,937 acres in 1888 to 54,911 acres in 1895, or about 130 per cent. The following are the chief wheat-raising
Provinces, with their acreage in 1895: Acres.
Santa 2.547.349 Buenos Ayres 907.959 Cordoba 725.733 Entre Rios 721,799 Salta 34.001 While the progress in sugar-cane and tobacco planting keeps pace with that of cereals, the growing of cotton has not reached, as yet, any large proportions, although it is also on the in crease. The increase in the area under sugar cane has been as follows: 1855, 551 acres; 1875, 7759; 1888, 52,044; 1895, 151,406. The area under tobacco was: 1S72, 8551 acres: 1888, 7991 ; 1395. 39,029. The cotton crop covered an area of about 1500 acres in 1895: but there is no doubt that the beginning thus made is fraught with great possibilities, especially for the northern provinces, which are best adapted to its cultivation.
Stock-raising is no less importantif not, indeed, more impo•tant—than the cultivation of land. The following table shows the number of various kinds of animals at the time of the taking of the first and second censuses: 1888 1895 Cattle 21,701,526 Horses 4,234,032 4,446,859 Asses and Mules 417,494 483,369 Sheep K706,097 74,379,562 Hogs 393,758 652,766 Goats 1,894,386 2,748,860 It will be seen from the above figures that the raising of sheep constitutes one of the most im portant branches of the animal industry. Their increase has been steady and large, as the fol lowing figures show: In 1830, their total num ber in the country was estimated at 2,500,000; 1860, 14,000,000; 1870, 41.000,000; 1880. 61,000, 000. As to the wool product. it increased from 6,000.000 pounds in 1830 to 130.0011,000 in 1870; from 310,000,000 in 1891 to about 500, 000,000 pounds in 1900. The significance of these figures will be clear if it is remembered that ill the States there were only 42,000.000 sheep in 1893, a number which did not increase up to 1900. On the other hand, the number of cattle in the United States is double that in Argentina.