CHAP. IV. AGRICULTURAL COLONIES. Besides the numberless foreign settlers established as sheepfarmers, or in other occupations, there are six agricultural colonies founded by capitalists or Provincial Governments, on given concessions of land. In Santa Fé there are three colonies, in Entre Rios two, and in Buenos Ayres one, viz. :— Santa Fé is the province which has done most for colonisation, and its colonies are in a thriving way. The soil is fertile, watered by numerous rivers and «<arroyos,» which abound in fish. The Governor of Santa Fé gives a free passage by steamer from Buenos Ayres to all mechanics or settlers bound for Rosario or Santa Fé city, or other part of the province. The port for the colonies is Santa Fé, which has weekly communication with Buenos Ayres, Montevideo, Corrientes, and the smaller ports. The Esperanza Colony, founded by D. Aaron Castellanos in 1856: the first settlers were Germans, who brought with them a clergyman, a director, and a schoolmaster. In 1858 the Argentine Government took the colony under its protection, indemnifying Sr. Castellanos with £24,000 sterling. The first years were unfortunate, owing to the locusts; but the colony is now flourishing. It is composed of 355 families, counting 1,627 colonists, viz. : In 1865 the colony had 85 births, 28 deaths, and 28 marriages. 69 23 20 THE SANTA FÉ COLONIES. 21 There are in the colony a Catholic chapel, another for Protestants, two schools, and 474 dwelling-houses, each house having a well of excellent water. The number of farm-lots occupied is 210, each containing 85 acres English. There is a vast extent of ground in this colony as yet unallotted. This produced, after deducting for home use, a market value of £30,000. The number of fruit-trees, mostly peaches, is put down at 100,000, and the vines have given such good results that new plantations are being made. The colonists exported during the year, 55 brls. of flour, 545 cowhides, and 625 of hair. The occupations we find thus distributed19 groceries and draperies, 9 carpenter-shops, 6 brick-layers, 5 blacksmiths, 4 midwives, 4 bootmakers, 4 mills, 3 tailors, 2 inns, 3 brickkilns, 1 baker, 1 doctor, 1 brewer, 2 steam mills, 2 windmills, 1 sawing, 6 reaping, 2 threshing, and 10 winnowing machines, 220 dairies. The San Jeronimo Colony is two leagues from that of Esperanza, comprising 157 families, which count 753 colonists, settled on 181 farm-lots of 85 acres each. In the concession there is still a large tract of ground ready for any who may join the colony. The returns for 1865 were : 644 colonists. Italians, .... 10 colonists. Births 19, deaths 10, marriages 2. The colony boasts a church, school, and 165 dwelling houses. There are 5 shops, 3 mills, 3 blacksmiths, 4 carpenters, 1 brewer, 1 butcher, 3 shoe-makers, 1 mason, 1 gunsmith-but most of these artisans devote their chief attention to agriculture. The number of fruit trees is put down at 30,000. The San Carlos Colony is situate 8 leagues S.W. of Santa Fé, 6 south of Esperanza, and 54 N.W. of Coronda; the last named is a port on a branch of the Parana. Only a small part of the concession (which comprises 330 lots) is yet taken up by settlers, but there are 130 farm-lots, of 85 acres, under cultivation. Every alternate lot belongs to the concessionaires, but they allow the use of same to the colonists for grazing purposes. There are 130 families, with 735 colonists: Of these there were 266 men, 203 women, and 266 children. Births 35, deaths 4, marriages 8. The colony boasts a church, 3 schools, and 210 houses. There are 6 shops, 2 mills, 1 carpenter and 1 blacksmith. The industry of butter and cheese is rapidly increasing, the Swiss and French families occupying themselves therein. The Santa Fé Government is always willing to extend the concession for any new settlers that may offer, and the alternate lots belonging to the concessionaires are sold at reasonable prices, the preference being given to the colonists. The colony has easy communication in all seasons with San Jeronimo, Esperanza, and the port of Coronda. Steam traffic is about to be established between Santa Fé and Coronda; but if the steamers would call at Maciel this would be only four and a half leagues from the colony. PERKINS' REPORT ON THE COLONIES. 23 The gross returns of produce sent into Santa Fé, in 1865, by the three colonies, were The butter was valued at £8,000 sterling, the eggs at £12,000, and the cheese at an equally high figure. Meantime, the produce of the colonies increases every year in a wonderful manner, and the value of their lands has been enhanced fully 25 per cent. by the opening of the Rosario and Cordoba Railway. Mr. Perkins, formerly editor of the Ferro-Carril of Rosario, published a valuable and interesting work in Spanish and English on this subject. At the invitation of Governor Cullen he started from Rosario, in November, 1863, to make a tour of the colonies, and his narrative bears the marks of truth. At Lake Guadalupe, close to Santa Fé, he visited the fish oil factory, where he estimates 5,000 barrels of oil may be produced annually, without seriously reducing the fish, which are sold at one real (6d.) per arroba (25). Here also is a small colony of wealthy Germans, who preferred purchasing this site to taking the free Government lands. In company with M. Henri, Mr. Perkins set out for the Esperanza Colony, distant twenty miles from the capital of the province. This was the first of all the colonies, and established by D. Aaron Castellanos. The settlers were at first rather unfortunate, being mostly ignorant and indigent people; but patience and experience have aided them, and the colony is now flourishing. There are says Mr. Perkins-345 families, making up a population of 756 Franco-Swiss and 805 Germans, of whom two-thirds are Roman Catholics, and one-third Protestants. The colony is a parallellogram of thirty-two square miles, divided into concessions of eighty acres each: the whole is bisected by a common for grazing, 400 yards broad and six miles long, the Germans being on one side, and the Franco-Swiss on the other. There are over 9,000 acres under crops, the amount sown being estimated as follows:-wheat, 3,150 bushels; barley, 250; Indian corn, 35,000; beans and peas, a little; potatoes, none. The stock comprises-1,569 horses, 396 oxen, 2,305 cows, 3,700 calves, 500 sheep, and 600 pigs. The plaza is well built, containing a Catholic chapel, and a Protestant one in construction, besides other edifices and three schools; but the latter are badly attended, the children being made to work. Two American gentlemen named Evans and Shafter, lately settled in the colony, and brought reaping and threshing machines, and other American improvements, into general use: one of these machines can grain 200 quintals per day. The woods being fifteen miles off, few of the concessions are fenced in, and some are so with wire. There are one vineyard and several gardens. The crops for this year-(1863)—are valued at $115,000 s. Cheese, butter, eggs, fowls, and vegetables are raised; but the supply would be much greater if cheap transport could be procured. One family has an income of $400 s. from butter alone, which they sell at 6d. to 9d. per , the same being worth 2s. in Rosario and 3s. in Buenos Ayres. The annual produce in eggs is 160,000 dozen. There are two wind-mills, and several water-mills. The people live simply but substantially, consuming little animal food. Every family has a two-horse four-wheeled waggon, and some have two or more. There is a trifling disagreement in the colony about mixed marriages. It is remarked that the Franco-Swiss have thrived better than the Germans. The San Jeronimo Colony was founded so late as 1862, by a number of Swiss from the Canton of Valais, each of whom brought some money; from £80 to £800 sterling. They paid all their own expenses, and only received from Government the usual land grant of eighty acres per family. The colony covers 9,000 acres, occupied by eighty-five families, counting 462 souls of these, one half are new arrivals, and have as yet no wheat crops. There are sown 284 bushels of wheat, and a good deal of barley. The people are sober and industrious, good Catholics, moral and respectful, and superior to those of Esperanza. They have already a fine church, built by subscription of 5,000 bricks each, and several good brick houses. Each family has about twenty cows and horses, but no sheep. They make excellent butter and cheese, the latter fetching $12 per cwt. The colonists pay the expenses of an agent, who goes backwards and forwards to Switzerland, bringing out new families for the colony. A man formerly working at the Esperanza as farm-servant, has settled here, and is now worth £1,000. San Jeronimo is half way between Esperanza and San Carlos, and Mr. Perkins gives it the preference of all. The San Carlos Colony was founded in May 1859, by the commercial house of Messrs. Beck and Herzhog of Basle, assisted by a company, which purchased some of the shares and advanced the capital. The emigrants were of a lower order, like those of Esperanza, and all their expenses, maintenance, implements, stock, seeds, &c., were most liberally supplied and paid for by the company. Each family got a free passage, 160 acres |