URUGUAY AS A PASTORAL COUNTRY
Origin of the live stock of the country--Influence of the climate
and pastures upon the first animals introduced--Live stock census
of 1909--Importance of the breeding industry--Various
ramifications--Principal items of home consumption--Articles of
export--Quality of the first herds introduced--Type of original
sheep and horses--Goats and pigs--The introduction of a superior
class of animal--The _criollos_ and the _mestizos_--Breeds
imported--Durham, Hereford, Polled Angus, and Devon
cattle--Dutch, Norman, Flemish, and Swiss cattle--Growth of the
dairy industry--Popular breeds of sheep and horses, and
pigs--Principal countries from which the animals are
derived--Growing value of the local-bred live stock--The
manipulation of an estancia--Well-found estates--Uruguayan
agricultural societies--Work effected by these--Government
support--The Rural Association of Uruguay--Financial results of
agricultural shows--Side products--Tallow--Hams--Tanning--"La
Carolina"--A great dairy farm--The factory of Breuss and
Frey--The _saladeros_, or meat-curing establishments--Number of
animals slaughtered--Method by which the meat is
cured--_Tasajo_--Countries to which it is exported--The frozen
meat trade--"La Frigorifica Uruguaya"--Important growth of the
new industry--Shipments of frozen meat.
The great numbers of the live stock which to-day constitute the chief
wealth of Uruguay owe their origin to the animals introduced by the
Spanish _conquistadores_ at the beginning of the seventeenth century.
These animals, which, of course, were drawn from the breeds that
existed in Spain at that period, found themselves surrounded by
conditions that were eminently favourable. Thus, beneath the
influence of a temperate climate and of the rich and nourishing
pastures that cover almost the entire surface of the Republic their
numbers rapidly multiplied. It is for these reasons, moreover, that
the breeding and traffic in these animals constitutes at the present
day the principal industry of the inhabitants.
The live stock census organised by the Government in the year 1909
gave the following results concerning the numbers of the live stock
that are now in existence in the Republic:
Sheep 16,608,717
Cattle 6,827,428
Horses 561,408
Pigs 93,923
Mules 22,992
Goats 20,428
----------
Total 24,134,896
These figures might reasonably be increased, since it was necessarily
impossible for the census to deal with the complete numbers of the
animals that exist throughout the country. Thus, without danger of
exaggeration, it may be supposed that some thirty million head of live
stock actually graze upon the pastures of the land. These figures
suffice to show the enormous importance to which live stock breeding
has attained in Uruguay.
The ramifications of this industry are naturally numerous. For home
consumption and internal commerce meat, milk, and tallow form the
principal items. For the export trade the list is considerably more
comprehensive. Live cattle, frozen, chilled, tinned, and dried meat,
beef extracts, wool, horns, hides, tallow, fat, guano, and the various
other products now make up a commerce of an annual value of thirty
millions of gold dollars, or of rather more than six million pounds
sterling. Chilled or frozen beef and mutton form the principal items
of this export trade, after which hides and extract of meat rank next
in importance.
The main breeds of animals introduced by the Spaniards at the time of
the conquest, although they served their purpose well enough at the
time, were by no means of the type which the exigencies of modern
times require. The cattle of former years were wanting in many
respects. They were wont to possess, for example, a superabundance of
bone, were badly built, and were notably backward in development. The
sheep were possessed of the same faults, and, in addition, were wont
to yield inferior wool.
The horses, on the other hand, although of light build and lacking
somewhat in shape, have proved themselves particularly well suited to
the country. Hardy and of great power of endurance, they have adapted
themselves completely to the natural conditions of the land. From this
stock a breed has sprung that fulfils admirably the equine duties of
the Campo. The tendency of these horses has been to improve and to
increase in size. Both the pigs and goats that were imported from
Spain were of an inferior order, although the latter showed favourable
results in the yielding of milk.
By the aid of these breeds alone it is certain that the live stock of
Uruguay could never have attained to that degree of excellence in
quality such as it can legitimately boast to-day. From these, for
example, cattle could never have been produced of the class that the
freezing works now demand, nor the valuable wool that is
characteristic of the day. The beginning of this later progress dates
from the middle of the last century. It was then that the more
progressive breeders became aware of the limitations of the _criollo_
races, as are termed the breeds imported from Spain that have
flourished and taken root in the land. To this end these were crossed
with others of a superior type, and thus the much-improved _mestizos_,
or cross-breds, were obtained. These now preponderate in many regions
of the Republic, in which, by the way, no true criollo animals now
remain.
In order to effect this improvement in the cattle various English
breeds have been introduced. Of these the two most important are the
Durham and the Hereford, both of which are excellently adapted for the
production of meat. By the crossing of these with the criollo a
mestizo steer is obtained, capable of turning the scale at six hundred
kilos and more, that provides excellent meat whether for the purposes
of live shipment, freezing, salting, or extract. In addition to these
more important breeds others have been introduced, such as the Devon,
Polled Angus, and a few further varieties--all these, however, in a
lesser degree.
It will be evident from this that the improvements in stock have been
effected chiefly with the view of increasing the quantity of meat
produced. Nevertheless, there are others that have been imported for
dairy purposes alone. The chief of these are the Dutch, Norman,
Flemish, and Swiss. It must be remarked that the popularity of these
is rapidly growing, on account of the progress and extension of the
dairy industry.
So far as sheep are concerned, the breeds that have been found most
suitable for the country are the Merino, Lincoln, Shropshire,
Hampshire, Romney Marsh, and Southdown. The Merino race amidst its new
surroundings provides an especially fine class of wool that is
appreciated throughout the world; from the crossing of the Merino with
the English breeds animals are obtained that provide the best meat
for the purposes of export, and those types of wool that are most in
demand for general commercial purposes.
The horses principally employed for saddle purposes and for light
draught are the thorough-bred, Yorkshire, Anglo-Norman, Irish, and
Russian, while for heavy draught the Percheron, Clydesdale, and Shire
strains are the most popular.
The improvement in pig-breeding has been effected by the introduction
of several English species, such as the Yorkshire and Berkshire, the
French animals of the kind being rarely employed.
It is by means of the crossing with all these above-mentioned breeds
that the general live stock of the country has been raised in degree.
The result has been distinctly favourable, since the healthy climate
and the pastures are eminently suitable for the finest strains as well
as for the cross-breds.
The annual importation into Uruguay of sires, bulls, and of the
remaining stock is now large. The countries whence they are derived
are England and other European lands, Australia, Argentina, and North
America. Amongst these many valuable animals are to be met with. Thus
recently two champion rams have been imported from Australia, various
champion bulls and rams from England, while from France came the noted
Durham bull "Tamarin."
[Illustration: CHALÊT AT COLONIA SUIZA.]
[Illustration: THE VINTAGE: ESTANCIA SAN JUAN.
To face p. 258.]
Uruguay, however, does not now depend entirely upon importations from
abroad for its pedigree stock. It already possesses a number of
_cabañas_, or breeding establishments, from which emerge cattle and
sheep of a grade sufficiently high to meet with success in the
agricultural shows of other countries. These are to be distinguished
from the estancias, the farms of larger area upon which the general
live stock of commerce thrives.
The ordinary estancia consists of a number of paddocks, separated the
one from the other by wire fences, of the natural pastures that abound
in Uruguay. The advance that has been effected in these great
enterprises is on a par with that of the rest. They are as a rule well
provided with sheds for the housing of the pedigree stock and with
plantations of trees for the shelter of the less valuable type of
animal, as well as with cattle-dips, water deposits, and stockyards,
and, in fact, with every installation that is requisite for the
purpose of the industry.
In every department of the Republic societies have been founded in
order to encourage scientific breeding, and to organise the
agricultural shows that are now held throughout the country. These
agricultural meetings have served a most useful purpose in fostering
an interest in breeding and in the various other branches of the
general national industries. This fact has been recognised by the
Government, which, in consequence, has done its utmost to stimulate
the holding of such functions. It has thus during the past few years
spent an annual sum of fifty thousand dollars in the subsidising of
these events, an outlay that has undoubtedly borne good fruit. In
providing these subsidies it is stipulated that at least a third part
of the sum provided shall be expended in cash prizes, and that the
chief attention in this respect shall be devoted to those particular
branches of industry that appear in a less advanced condition than the
rest, and that, therefore, are the most in need of encouragement.
Many of these agricultural societies possess extensive grounds of
their own in the near neighbourhood of the provincial capital. In
these places permanent buildings are frequently to be met with that
are employed for the annual shows. These usually owe their
construction to private enterprise, assisted by the Government. In
Montevideo, too, there is a ground specially set apart for this
purpose. Here the Rural Association of Uruguay holds the great annual
championship meeting, and the Government has just allotted the sum of
a hundred thousand dollars for the purpose of improving the spot, and
for the introduction of the very latest innovations. These
agricultural shows have proved highly successful in facilitating the
actual commercial transactions having reference to live stock of all
descriptions. Thus during the past few years the principal meetings
alone have been responsible for an annual sale of over half a million
dollars' worth of animals.
Although, as has been explained, numerous products of the pastoral
industry are exported in their natural state, there are others which
require special treatment and preparation in their country of origin
ere shipment, and which are daily gaining in importance. The most
important institutions that deal with these are the meat-curing
factories, the freezing works, and the establishments for preserving
meat and for extracting its essence. These chief industries we will
deal with at some length later, enumerating first of all some of the
side products of lesser importance, such as the manufacture of tallow
and of hams, and that of tanning.
Another industry that bids fair to be of supreme importance in the
future is that of dairy-farming. At the present time this is worked on
a comparatively modest scale, since the great majority of farms are
content with the breeding and selling of the cattle. Nevertheless,
there are several important establishments that produce milk, butter,
and cheese for the purposes of both home consumption and of export.
The chief amongst these establishments is that of La Carolina,
belonging to Don Francisco Fontana, which occupies an area of eight
thousand hectares in the department of Rocha. No less than five
thousand milch cows graze on this property, which is provided with
steam-driven machinery of the most modern type. In the department of
Colonia, too, exists the colony of Swiss, who devote themselves
especially to this particular branch of industry. The principal
factory here is that of Breuss and Frey, which deals with thirty
thousand litres of milk daily, and can turn out twenty-four thousand
kilos of butter in a month. This factory likewise contains the most
up-to-date machinery, and is provided with freezing and sterilising
apparatus. This concern exports cheese as well as butter.
These few facts will give an idea of the point to which the
dairy-farming industry in Uruguay may develop in the near future,
since there exist several millions of cows of a type eminently
suitable for the purpose.
In the Republic there are actually twenty saladeros in existence, of
which thirteen are situated in Montevideo, seven on the banks of the
River Uruguay, and one at Paso de los Toros, in the interior of the
country.
The number of the animals slaughtered at these saladeros will give an
idea of the importance of the industry. During the years 1904 and 1908
the total amounted to no less than 2,763,855 head of cattle, thus
making the average for the year over half a million head. During these
five years 223,872,000 kilos of _tasajo_, or dried meat, were
prepared, which represent a yearly average of forty-five million
kilos. The average yield of the steers was ninety kilos of tasajo,
that of the cows sixty kilos.
The manner in which this dried meat is prepared in the saladeros is
fairly simple. After the cattle have been slaughtered and the
veterinary examination has proved the absence of any taint or disease
the bones are separated from the meat, which is then shaped into
various portions known respectively as _mantas_ and _postas_. Once
dried, these are placed in brine-pans, and piled up, well covered with
salt. According to the state of the weather and the condition to which
the meat is required to attain, it is placed in special vessels in the
sun for a period varying between four and six days, until it is
perfectly dry and ready to be baled.
As will be seen from this, salt and sun heat are the two principal
agents that enter into the manufacture of tasajo, two powerful agents
that, it is claimed, perform their task in the simplest and most
hygienic fashion possible. The slaughtering season in the saladeros
generally begins in the month of November, and is continued until
January of the following year.
Tasajo, when its manufacture is completed, is classified into four
grades, in accordance with the fatter or leaner propensities of the
meat. The former kinds are exported principally to the markets of
Brazil, while the latter are for the most part destined for
consumption in Cuba. Beyond these, however, there are various other
fields in which tasajo plays a popular part. It is, for instance, sent
in fairly large quantities to the Portuguese colonies, to Puerto Rico,
and to Spain and Portugal themselves, as well as to numerous less
important places whose inhabitants have learned to appreciate this
particular form of dried meat. The product contains certain advantages
in that its treatment is simple throughout. Thus, when once in the
hands of its actual consumers, the salt has merely to be dissolved
from the meat in order to render it in a condition prepared for the
oven.
It is several years now since Uruguay has commenced to export frozen
meat. Six years ago an important freezing establishment, La
Frigorifica Uruguaya, was founded in the department of Montevideo on
the bank of the River Plate. The place occupies a large extent of
ground, and is capable of slaughtering daily two hundred head of
cattle and two thousand sheep. This establishment is fitted up with
the most recent inventions that have been brought to bear on the
freezing process. The frozen beef is classified into three qualities,
according to type and weight, and is packed in quarters in a double
covering that completely preserves it from the danger of contact with
other substances. The carcasses of the sheep, following the usual
custom, are shipped entire, and covered in the same way.
The Frigorifica Uruguaya began operations in 1905. The rapid increase
in the extent of its shipments may be judged from the following
figures. Thus, in 1905, the year of its inception, the establishment
exported two thousand tons of frozen meat; in 1906 the shipments had
increased to four thousand tons, whereas in 1907 the total amounted to
seven thousand and in 1908 to nine thousand tons. This increase has
continued unchecked during the past couple of years, and the shipments
for 1910 are estimated to have amounted to no less than twelve
thousand tons. The machinery has now been added to, and the result
will certainly go to swell these figures considerably more in the near
future.
The benefit that this concern confers on the pastoral industry is of
course very great. Not only does it increase the facilities for sale
of the cattle, but its existence tends in addition towards the
improvement of breed in general, since only the animals of a superior
class are suitable for the purpose it serves.