Show OASES OF CHILES DESERT they play a great part in develop merit ment of nitrate beds northern chile which Is so largely mountain or desert is generally re re carded as aa a forbidding wilderness but here may be found a number of oa B es the most conspicuous of which art arc pica and Mat 11 latilla llla it has haa been found that in various parts of the great atacama desert the earth underneath the surface layer of sand band or salt la Is sufficiently moist to grow crops capillary attraction spread ing the water through the soil the rainless rah iless atacama desert Is the scene of tile the greatest industry of its kind in the world yielding enormous quantities of situates nitrates used to enrich the fields of europe a and nd the united states tile the oases play a very important eco role tit in the industries of the re glon gion supplying voleta vegetables bles and food foo I 1 stuffs for the support of the wor work men alfalfa for the cattle and varl ous fruits and also serving as aa tim her producers for the nitrate filtrate works which require much fuel there Is no part of the world where agriculture Is more intensively cat cai ried on than in these green spots in the Ata atacama cania desert zions herald |