[Footnote 63: The importance of the sales of rural property is to-day so great, and speculation so eager, that the prices given here, according to information gathered barely a few months ago, appear to us already as ancient history.] CHAPTER V AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES SUGAR-CANE——Area of plantations——Statistics of production—— Legislation affecting sugar——Consumption. VINES——Area of vineyards planted——Production, consumption—— Imperfect quality——Competition of foreign imports. TOBACCO——Area of plantations——Value of the product——Defective preparation. THE MULBERRY——The culture of the silk-worm might be established in the Argentine, but at present exists only in an experimental condition. MATÉ——Large consumption of this product.——Statistics of foreign importation——Districts suitable for its growth. COTTON——Physical conditions proper to its growth——The first favourable results in the Argentine——Its introduction into Chaco——Lack of manual labour for the development of this industry. RUBBER——Existence of rubber plants in the Argentine——An unexploited source of wealth. ARBORICULTURE——On account of the diversity of the climate, all fruit-trees can be grown in the Argentine——The various fruits cultivated in different regions——Amelioration of the products. The trade in fruit——Its development possible on account of the inversion of seasons as compared with Europe——Refrigeration applied to the transport of fruit——Regions particularly suitable for fruit-growing. Besides the culture of cereals, such as wheat and maize and linseed, and the important grazing and cattle-breeding industries of the Argentine, together with their dependent industries, there are other forms of agriculture and forms of natural produce, some of which have already attained a great importance, while others are destined to become equally important in the near future; that is, if the progress of evolution in the Argentine follows, as there is reason to hope, its natural upward course. _Sugar-cane._——Among the agricultural industries the culture of the sugar-cane assumes the first rank. The cane is cultivated principally in the Province of Tucuman, in which Province are established the greater number of the sugar factories existing in the Republic. The cane is also planted, and flourishes, in portions of the Provinces of Santiago, Salta, and Jujuy; in the north of Santa Fé, in Corrientès, and in the Territories of Formosa, Chaco, and Misionès. Sugar-planting is an industry of considerable antiquity in the Argentine; but it has attained a remarkable development chiefly in the last ten years, owing to the high price of sugar and the establishment of numerous factories equipped with perfected machinery; owing also to the notable profits which the industry offers.