AGRICULTURE IN ARGENTINE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 16 May 1907, Page 4

AGRICULTURE IN ARGENTINE.

A PIjAG'L'K of locusts. A Duellos Ayres of ibo Lyltelton Tillies says the Argentine crops are proving- a failure this year, or at least a comparative one. Locusts in endless millions are sweeping into the country, anil although the settlers ami the Government have put up a determined fight, the locusts must win. Although tile Government has spent some hundreds of thousands of pounds on' fighting tiie plague one might as well try to stop the sea water from eniering the estuary at ijuninor as to try and check the locusts once the plague is fairly 'started. From reports received from friends, 1 gather that for over 1000 miles up tile river the locusts are sweeping destruction. They are sweeping in from liraz.il, from the utmost never-ending; grassy, rolling downs of Goyazo and .Mato Urosso. on to lhc Argentine and I'ruguayan cultivations of maize, wheat, harley, and so forth; and when tliev come tiiey make a clean sweep of everything. Were the country M'ttled the lavages of the locust would iiiit lie *o badly felt, ll'i'e are to be found Hocks ;it land sub-divided into lots of 10 to I acres each, the settlement comprising .">,(100 acres. but such a Seitlpliieut most likeiy will 1: ■ found surrounded by one large estancia embracing' I'rom Illll.tlOO to .">0,11111) acres. Thus small settlers may keep*their land clear of the loeu-t for some time, but the millions bred on the hi rue estates, once they begin to march, sweep ail before them. It is no unusual tiling to read that at some place an average of. >a\ J . 17") tons of locusts have been destroyed each fortnight, and that those fighting the pests have been quite unable to save the crops of the settlers. Doubtless the ellect of the tight will in time be felt by the locusts, and their numbers reduced, but when one knows that from an area of perhaps a thousand miles by fine hundred broad uncountable millions are still advancing one realises the almost hopelessness of the task." A Brave JUan's Death