The soil of Paraguay, particularly in the territories of Buenos-Ayres,
Monte-Video, and St. Iago of the Tucumans, is extremely fruitful of
wheat. It is nevertheless no less true than surprizing that greatest
part of the Spanish nation never taste wheaten bread, to avoid the
difficulty of sowing and grinding this grain: for you never see any
thing like a water-mill here. The mill-stone is turned about by horses,
in some places by the wind. I saw but two wind-mills of this kind, and
those were in the city of Buenos-Ayres. European wheat differs from that
of Paraguay, the latter having a very short stalk, but a larger ear,
containing larger grains. The Guaranies cut off the ears alone with a
common knife, and leave the stalks in the field, where they are
afterwards burnt as they stand, as the ashes fertilize the soil better
than any other manure. In every Guarany town as much wheat is sown, as
is thought sufficient for one year. The grains of wheat are pressed out
of the ear by the feet of horses, one or two hundred of which are driven
round an area surrounded by hedges, wherein the ears are strewed on the
floor.