Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume I.djvu/726

 690 ARGENTINE REPUBLIC mometer in the shade at Rosario during the month of March, and at Buenos Ayres from April to September : S 1 26' 24 10 77 67 68 67 51 63 63

25 18 9 71 65 68 61 46 54 59 f >, le- 14 9 65 48 54 50 89 44 49 J 1 3 25' 14 7 66 49 58 61 41 51 54 1 18' 9 6 68 52 63 59 45 53 56 51 48 20 98 63 80 77 47 64 72 28' 21 7 72 49 59 62 44 61 55 Greatest diurnal range Average do. do A A aire do M averages The soil of the Argentine Republic is extreme- ly varied and productive, save in the S. plains, the coarse shingle of which is unfavorable to vegetation. As has already been seen, the pampas, and principally to the S. W. of the Parana, afford rich and abundant pasturage. The E. flank of the Andes and the banks of the W. affluents of the Paraguay are clothed with dense forests, the timber of which is, however, unavailable owing to its distance from the sea. The trees are mostly of the mimosa family; and with the fruit of the algarroba, mixed with maize, the Indians make a sort of bread, while by fermentation they produce the chica, an intoxicating liquor. In Salta the cinchona, various palms, and the mate or Paraguay tea are indigenous ; and in Salta and Santiago the cactus foliosus, on which a cochineal insect feeds, grows to an enormous size. Aloes are very abundant, and from their fibrous materials the Indians manufacture nets, ropes, bags, &c., which they dye with indelible colors of their own preparation from native plants. The coca plant grows plentifully in Salta. Mixed with lime, the Peruvians chew it as a stimulant. Indigo is found in Corrientes, and also the shrub which nourishes the clavillo, an insect famed for the rich green dye it affords. The apple tree was introduced from Chili by the Indians, and forms veritable forests in the S. W. districts near the Andes. Figs, oranges, walnuts, and other fruits are common ; and the peach tree is so abundant as to afford the principal firewood for the city of Buenos Ayrea. Good wine is made in Mendoza. The sugar cane prospers in the northwest, and tobacco is extensively cultivated. The cotton tree flour- ishes in Catamarca, and red pepper is sent in large quantities to Buenos Ayres. Maize, po- tatoes, and the different European cereals are raised in almost all the provinces, and of wheat prodigious crops are produced, principally for export. But the exportation of productions of the soil has hitherto been inconsiderable com- pared to that of animal produce derived from the herds of cattle and horses in the pampas. An idea of the cattle-raising in eight of the prov- inces (there being no returns from the others) may be formed from the following statistics of the farming stock in 1866 : PROVINCES. Homed Cattle. Hone*. AUM and Mulei. Sheep. GoaU. Swine. Buenos Ayres 6,000,000 1,800,000 80000 60000,000 5000 115,000 Entrc-Rlos. 2.M03,OIK) ftM.INKI 7500 6,000000 Corrientes 2,000,000 XT.' 1 60000 1,000,000 10,000 4,500 185,000 40000 40000 80000 121 000 2500 210,01)0 71 000 7500 230000 70000 8500 Salta 'J.V..IMH) 50,000 60000 150000 95000 2500 MQlOOO '.It'll Kill 14,000 160000 2vS6000 Tucuuian JT.'.MIK) 85,000 22000 y:>o'M) A 000 In the forests of the republic there are ja- guars, cougars or pumas (American lions), ant- eaters, and chinchillas as large as squirrels and much prized for the beauty of their furs. The tapir is common in the north. Deer abound in the pampas, as do wild dogs and ar- madillos ; and there are three species of par- tridge. On the banks of the Rio de la Plata is found the carigueibaju, known in commerce by its fur under the name of nutria ; it is a car- nivorous animal, of the size of a cat, web-foot- ed, and its flesh is considered exceedingly deli- cate. The capybara, the giant of the rodentia, and th'e carpincho frequent the rivers. The Andine provinces abound in guanacos, llamas, and vicufias ; and the Gran Chaco is infested by the various feline animals already men- tioned, besides wild cats, boars, myriads of noxious insects, spiders of monstrous propor- tions, enormous mosquitoes, and innumerable swarms of bees. Several varieties of venomous snakes are met with, especially a trigonoce- phalu, the fiercest and most hideous of its kind, and a species of boa similar to the traga- venado or deer-swallower of Venezuela. The tocutuco and bizcacha, rodent quadrupeds, are found in all directions throughout the pam- pas, rendering travelling dangerous from their burrowings. Condors, gallinazos, vultures, and other predacious birds abound in various dis- tricts ; and the woods are peopled by numer- ous smaller birds of endlessly varied plumage. The rivers, and especially the Rio Negro, abound in fish of all kinds, the lamprey, trout, pejerey, sole, and ray or skate being those most prized. Seals are taken on the N. coast, as also sea lions and sea elephants; the latter often attain a length of 20 to 23 feet, and one will yield two hogsheads of oil. The breeding of mules has of late years declined, though con- siderable droves are still to be met with in the estancia*. The sheep, although extremely nu-