LIVE STOCK
General Mitre, in his _History of Belgrano_, has said of the River Plate
Territories:—
The natural pastures invited the inhabitants to the pastoral
industry. The vast littoral placed the country in contact
with the rest of the world by means of fluvial and maritime
navigation. Its salubrious and temperate climate rendered
life more pleasant and work more reproductive. It was indeed
a territory prepared for live-stock breeding, constituted for
commercial prosperity, and predestined by acclimatization to
be peopled by all the races of the earth. Thus we see that the
profitable occupation of its soil commences to be realized by
means of live stock brought overland from Peru and from Brazil;
that the commercial currents of the interior converge little by
little towards the River Plate; that abundance and well-being
are spread by this means; and that the first external act of
the colonists after the foundation of Buenos Aires in 1580 is
the exportation of a shipload of the fruits of their own work
(hides and sugar), which awakens immigration and the commerce
of importation.
This reference to the “commerce of importation” is an indication of the
limitations under which the colonists laboured under Spanish rule. They
might import from Spain as much as they could, but a very jealous guard
was put on their exports lest these might compete with the industries of
the Mother Country.
Seventy-two horses and mares were landed by Pedro de Mendoza when he
founded the first settlement of Santa Maria de los Buenos Aires in 1535.
Many of his followers were killed by the native Indians, but when Juan
de Garay coming down through Paraguay laid the real foundations of
the present capital of the Argentine Republic, he and those with him
were surprised to find wild horses grazing on the Pampa. These were the
descendants of those brought by Mendoza and the ancestors of the present
equine stock of the River Plate countries, a stock which has, however,
in common with all the live stock of these countries, been improved out
of all recognition in the course of the last half-century by imported
European strains. Still the wild descendants of Mendoza’s animals,
acclimatized through countless generations and become hardy in their free
life, were no bad raw material to improve upon.
The first appearance of cattle on the River Plate Pampa is, as has
already been mentioned, credited to seven cows and a bull said to
have been brought from Brazil, through Paraguay, by two Portuguese,
the brothers Cipriano and Vicente Goes, early in the last half of the
sixteenth century, but other cattle were introduced in far larger
quantities about the same time or a little later under the conditions of
the appointment of Juan de Galazary Espinoza as Treasurer of the River
Plate. To Nunflo de Chaves is credited the honour of the introduction of
the first goats and sheep in 1550.
Evidently large numbers of horses, cattle and sheep afterwards strayed in
a semi-wild condition down south from Peru and Brazil, attracted by the
wealth of pasturage.
The early history of the export trade of the River Plate colonists in
hides, tallow, wool and jerked beef, is one of smuggling and bribery of
officials. Nevertheless, even under such difficult circumstances and
costly methods many settlers contrived, by also trading in European
merchandise, to amass great wealth, the fortunes of many of them, says
Mr. Gibson, amounting to over £60,000 sterling.
Meanwhile the increase of cattle was astounding if one did not consider
the difficulties in the way of its utilization. In the middle of the
seventeenth century anyone could take all he wanted from the wild herds
up to 10,000 or 12,000 head, or more by obtaining licence to do so from
the Governor.
The rights of free export of animal produce from Buenos Aires to Spain
and open trade with the interior were first granted to the River Plate
Colonies in 1778, under the Vice-Regal rule. But it was the Independence
of the Colonies in 1810 which freed them from all commercial trammels
and was the real commencement of their present agricultural and pastoral
prosperity. Since then no events (except, of course, the advent of the
railway in 1857) in the annals of the export commerce of the River Plate
have been of greater importance than the founding of the Argentine Rural
Society in 1866, and the discovery by Tellier of the preservation of meat
at freezing point submitted to the Paris Academy of Science in 1872, and
of Ferdinand Carré’s improvements for the transport of _chilled_ meat.
The first freezing establishment in the River Plate was that erected by
Señor Eugenio Terrasson at San Nicolás, in the Province of Buenos Aires,
in 1883, and in the following year the legislature exempted frozen and
chilled meat from the payment of export duty.
Over 99% of the whole exports of frozen and chilled meat from Argentina
comes direct to the United Kingdom,[42] and we get quite one-half of the
whole of our overseas meat and grain supplies from the two River Plate
Republics.
The past half-century has seen amazing changes on the vast pasture
lands of Argentina and Uruguay. The first of these was the invasion of
what had formerly been the exclusive domains of cattle and sheep by
agriculture. Little by little, wheat, especially, ousted the flocks and
herds from an ever-increasing radius from the port of Buenos Aires.
Land values increased as agriculture flourished till the time came when
stock-breeders found themselves outbidden by wheat-growers or, rather,
landowners found it more profitable to grow wheat or maize on lands which
were economically accessible to transport. As the railways grew so did
this almost exclusively cereal area.
This tendency continued until what may almost be termed the “discovery”
in the River Plate Territories of the qualities of Alfalfa (Lucerne).
The double value of this crop as fodder and for improving the land by
collecting and depositing atmospheric nitrogen, caused it to be planted
by every intelligent estanciero, and brought back much of the cattle
to properties which had seemed for ever given over to wheat-growing.
Other contemporary reasons for the reappearance of cattle on the home
lands were the increased demand for good slaughter animals initiated
by the newly established cold-storage and export business and dawning
appreciation of the fact that one cannot for ever go on growing
immediately successive crops of wheat on the same land.
Thus were laid some foundations of scientific farming on more civilized
lines, in which stock-raising and agriculture combine for the profit of
the farmer. The cattle industry and horse-breeding also, gained fresh
impetus from the abundance of alfalfa now grown everywhere on a large
scale and on brackish land formerly considered valueless.
Sheep only, with their nomadic nature which demands large areas on which
to roam, their close-cropping manner of grazing and their faculty for
quickly ruining alfalfa fields on which they may be allowed to graze,
are still only found in comparatively small numbers on the high-priced
lands of the East-Central parts of Argentina and the South of Uruguay,
being chiefly relegated to outlying districts in which land is still of
comparatively small value and particularly, in Argentina, to those parts
of Patagonia the inclement climate of which suits them as it does little
else.
Nevertheless, the finest breeds of sheep are chiefly to be found on the
“model” estancias, where as good live stock as any in the world is bred
and intensive farming has begun to be appreciated for its own sake and
on account of the normally ever-increasing value of land in all the most
fertile and accessible rural districts of the River Plate Republics.
Durhams and Lincolns are the favourite breeds of cattle and sheep, though
many fine strains of Herefords, Polled Angus, Merinos, Romney Marsh and
Shropshires abound. No price is too high for the Argentine estanciero
to pay for imported animals for the still greater perfection of his
stock, and the great Show held under the auspices of the Rural Society
at Palermo, a park-like suburb of the city of Buenos Aires, comes as a
revelation to each expert breeder who travels, as many do every year,
from Europe to the River Plate to see it. Money and care can do no better
anywhere in the production of animals of the very highest quality. It may
be noted that the prizes (always awarded by impartial foreign, usually
British, judges) are more frequently gained by native Argentine breeders.
River Plate live stock suffers very little indeed from any of the
diseases which are the breeder’s dread in most other countries; with the
exception of sheep and pigs, the former being greatly subject to “fluke”
and the latter to fever. Horse-breeding is carried on very successfully.
The carriage horses exported by Señor Martinez de Hoz and others are
now well known in Europe and the race-courses of Argentina and Uruguay
are the constant scenes of the display of very fine horse-flesh indeed.
That Argentine-bred race-horses are more successful in South America
than freshly imported ones is no doubt due to climatic causes. Argentine
race-horses are here specified because horse-breeding has been brought to
a higher pitch of perfection in Argentina than has yet been attained in
Uruguay.
Poultry and pig farming may yet be said to be in their infancy in both
Republics, simply because both countries are still quite fully occupied
with the two great established industries of producing grain and meat for
export.
Given adequate population (how often must one ring the changes on this
phrase!) very many rich sources of prosperity would quickly be disclosed
to now almost unsuspecting European eyes. Poultry and pigs are two of
the richest, and the most obvious for mention, in this chapter, of such
almost latent sources.
The cold-storage establishment at Zárate, in the Province of Buenos
Aires, some years ago erected a scientifically equipped plant for the
curing of hams and bacon. But the difficulty is yet to obtain sufficient
pigs of first quality to make the curing industry a success. Throughout
the temperate zone of South America the climatic conditions are quite
favourable to pig-raising; and food in the shape of maize and alfalfa
is abundant at relatively small cost. When pigs and poultry receive the
care which is now acknowledged to be necessary to, and given for, the
best results from cattle, horses and sheep, River Plate poultry and pig
produce will loom large on the markets of the world, besides supplying a
daily increasing local demand.
What has been called the Alfalfa region because of the astounding yield
of that forage given by its brackish, saltpetre-impregnated waters and
sandy soil, lies to the West of the Province of Buenos Aires. Almost
the whole of the two Republics are now, however, largely planted with
alfalfa, the spread of which has grown rapidly since the several valuable
qualities of that crop have come to be understood.
In many districts wheat has been sown on wheat year after year ever since
the booming times of South American cereal export began. So that in many
parts of such districts the soil can do no more, and in consequence the
wheat yield has become unsatisfactory.
When these districts cease entirely to be able to yield any wheat at all,
someone will lay down alfalfa as an alternate crop and will find the
cost of having done so, and of reploughing, say, three years afterwards,
insignificant compared with the value of the quantity and quality of
wheat the same land will yield after that process of alternation; not to
mention the value of the three years’ three or quite likely four, annual
crops of alfalfa taken off it during that period.
This form of intensive farming will probably be the first to become
obligatory, for economic reasons, on the generality of owners of land
situated in the chief cereal areas.
Till to-day, landowners in these large favoured tracts have grown
wealthy with little trouble and no thought as far as purely agricultural
enterprise, as apart from stock-breeding, is concerned.
All this is, however, a digression from our present consideration of
stock-raising, except as regards the increasingly intimate connection
between stock-raising and agriculture in the most thickly populated
districts; for the Argentine Rural Statistics (more availably complete
than those of Uruguay) show that the much greater proportion of cattle is
in the Provinces of Buenos Aires, Santa Fé, Córdoba and Entre Rios which
are four of the chief cereal areas. And though there are more cattle
in the province of Corrientes than in either of the three last-named
Provinces, the vast herds of one of the largest meat-extract companies
account for much of this. So that it may be taken that the Provinces of
Buenos Aires (represented by a long way by the highest figures), Santa
Fé, Córdoba and Entre Rios, with the Territory of the Pampa Central in
respect of cereals, are the regions which, together, are the richest in
Live Stock and cereals in Argentina.[43]
The following interesting table of the difference in numbers of cattle,
sheep, and horses in 1895 and 1908 is taken from the Argentine National
Census taken in the latter year, the latest census of the kind taken
throughout the Republic.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 1895 AND 1908
More (+), less (-) in 1908
------------------------------+---------------------------------------
| SPECIES
PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES +------------+-------------+------------
| CATTLE | SHEEP | HORSES
------------------------------+------------+-------------+------------
Federal Capital and the | | |
Island of M. García |- 11,538 |- 7,072 |+ 7,367
Buenos Aires |+ 2,605,339 |- 18,025,479 |+ 844,568
Santa Fé |+ 1,098,439 |- 1,019,371 |+ 509,609
Corrientes |+ 1,382,639 |+ 1,733,462 |+ 187,039
Córdoba |+ 754,554 |- 602,552 |+ 579,080
San Luis |- 98,925 |+ 314,439 |+ 67,290
Tucumán |- 23,058 |+ 25,134 |+ 57,151
Entre Rios |+ 360,829 |+ 795,284 |+ 132,510
Salta |+ 9,398 |+ 63,670 |+ 26,115
Catamarca |- 7,357 |+ 28,899 |+ 19,050
Jujuy |- 16,337 |- 62,830 |+ 8,673
Mendoza |+ 61,252 |+ 120,186 |+ 51,268
La Rioja |+ 170,603 |+ 60,025 |+ 22,986
Santiago del Estero |+ 37,350 |+ 316,978 |+ 96,668
San Juan |+ 12,629 |+ 37,237 |+ 3,458
Central Pampa |+ 65,517 |- 486,100 |+ 52,534
Rio Negro |+ 197,409 |+ 3,715,067 |+ 142,875
Neuquen |+ 20,022 |+ 315,528 |+ 47,680
Chubut |+ 305,051 |+ 2,076,322 |+ 152,925
Santa Cruz |+ 14,778 |+ 2,018,302 |+ 28,524
Fireland |+ 11,055 |+ 1,335,186 |+ 9,910
Chaco |+ 181,327 |+ 2,318 |+ 13,163
Misiones |+ 24,102 |+ 3,382 |+ 10,895
Formosa |+ 192,300 |+ 20,044 |+ 13,058
The Andes |+ 905 |+ 54,133 |+ 121
------------------------------+------------+-------------+------------
Republic at large |+ 7,415,099 |- 7,167,808 |+ 3,084,517
------------------------------+------------+-------------+------------
The result of the comparison is to show that in the provinces and
territories of the Republic, the number of cattle has increased by
7,415,099 head, and that of horses by 3,084,517 head, whereas sheep have
fallen off by 7,167,808.
The following are the figures for Cattle and Sheep respectively as
calculated by Señor Emilio Lahitte, Director of the Division of
Rural Economy and Statistics in the Argentine National Ministry of
Agriculture, existing in each Province and Territory of that Republic on
the 31st December, 1911.
-----------------------------------------+------------+------------
| CATTLE | SHEEP
-----------------------------------------+------------+------------
Federal Capital | 14,338 | 1,222
Province of Buenos Aires | 7,045,523 | 28,934,475
” Santa Fé | 4,055,624 | 1,612,799
” Córdoba | 2,251,744 | 2,753,773
” Entre Rios | 2,260,078 | 6,721,976
” Corrientes | 5,030,396 | 5,937,432
” San Luis | 861,831 | 1,565,326
” Santiago del Estero | 1,121,374 | 1,344,024
” Mendoza | 395,327 | 745,701
” San Juan | 174,835 | 191,752
” La Rioja | 600,582 | 234,587
” Catamarca | 382,108 | 230,201
” Tucumán | 653,458 | 234,591
” Salta | 892,248 | 630,681
” Jujuy | 172,387 | 1,128,321
National Territory of Pampa Central | 399,460 | 5,751,856
” ” Misiones | 154,328 | 24,761
” ” Formosa | 359,139 | 46,397
” ” Chaco | 562,412 | 25,052
” ” Los Andes | 2,057 | 108,523
” ” Rio Negro | 379,312 | 8,476,993
” ” Neuquen | 295,770 | 1,099,161
” ” Chubut | 651,511 | 5,091,132
” ” Santa Cruz | 55,442 | 4,946,677
” ” Tierra del Fuego | 14,726 | 2,564,073
” ” Isla Martín García | 218 | —
-----------------------------------------+------------+------------
Totals | 28,786,168 | 80,401,486
-----------------------------------------+------------+------------
The 1908 Census showed that more than one-fourth of the whole cattle of
the Republic were Durhams, rather less than one-sixth Herefords and the
remainder made up of very much smaller quantities of Polled Angus, Dutch,
Red Polled, Jerseys, Flemish and Swiss, their numerical importance being
according to the order in which they are here stated, from a total of
125,829 Polled Angus to 3401 Swiss.
As has been said, Lincolns are still in most favour among sheep, followed
by Romney Marsh and other long-wool breeds, Shropshire, Hampshire and
Oxford Downs, Southdowns and Rambouillets and Merinos.
The reason for the great preference shown for Durhams is their reputation
for combined meat-carrying and milking qualities, in which latter
Herefords are relatively deficient. The dairy industries are already
developing on an important scale.
There are practically no parts of the River Plate Territories except
their forests, mountains and certain as yet unirrigated tracts, such as
the Valley of the Rio Negro, which are not naturally adapted to cattle
or sheep raising, or both, and at present Live Stock is to be found
in almost exclusive occupation of close on 96,000,000 hectares out of
the calculated total of 300 million hectares of cultivable land in the
Argentine Republic. These figures are taken from the 1908 Argentine
Census, above referred to.
The parallel figures for Uruguay are not available in such exact form
of statement, but it may be taken that there are very few parts of that
country in which cattle or sheep or both are not found.
Diseases of live stock are, as has been said, very conspicuous by their
relative total absence in both Republics, and farmers in both Argentina
and Uruguay are very sore about the sustained attitude of the British
Government which refuses to permit the entrance of River Plate live
stock on the hoof into British ports. The farmers are convinced that
this refusal is due to the influence of British breeders who, while
thus preventing what would otherwise be a serious menace to their own
industry, yet benefit by the South American acceptance of very high
priced animals imported from Great Britain for stud purposes. The weak
point of this argument is, of course, that such importation of prize
animals is in no way authoritatively enforced on the Argentine or
Uruguayan, his obligation to purchase such animals arising only from his
necessity to do so in his own best interests. The danger on his side
arises from the possibility of latent tuberculosis and other disease, but
this he now guards very effectually against, often at much pecuniary
loss to himself, by severe tests carried out by competent veterinary
surgeons on all imported animals and the unhesitating sacrifice of any
found to be infected.
The present writer is inclined to venture the opinion that the British
Government might rely with safety on the certificates of Argentine and
Uruguayan Government experts of the immunity of all cattle and sheep
leaving either Republic on the hoof. It does, in effect, accept such
certificates in regard to the condition of frozen or chilled carcases;
and, morality apart, it may safely be taken that every Argentine and
Uruguayan interested is much too fully aware of the importance to himself
individually of the countries’ export trade to risk the slightest laxity
in connection with the sure ascertainment of perfect immunity from
disease or contagion of all animals shipped from his Ports.
As this matter now stands, the British authorities refuse to permit the
importation of live cattle or sheep until such time as the Argentine
or Uruguayan Governments can give assurance of the _total absence_ of
disease in _every_ part of their Republics.
It can easily be understood that this practically postpones such
permission to the Millennium, since it is most highly improbable that
the whole of such vast areas of pasturage and the millions of head of
live stock in Argentina and Uruguay should ever be without one beast
affected in more or less degree by any contagious disease. One day,
probably (before the Millennium), other counsels will prevail with the
British Government and the whole people of Great Britain, as well as
Argentine and Uruguayan estancieros benefit by the removal of the present
comprehensive prohibition.
For his stock, the Argentine and Uruguayan farmer does not fear disease,
that he and his Governments can and do very efficiently guard against,
but he does fear drought which he yet has only inadequate means to combat.
The streams of the huge Pampean flat are few and far between, and are
apt to dry up in exceptionally dry seasons. Almost everywhere now the
sky-line is dotted with corrugated-iron windmills which draw water
from surface or artesian wells. But vast and costly irrigation (and
drainage) works are needed before the whole available pasturage of the
two Republics can defy the recurrence of times of drought which sometimes
much more than decimate the live stock of enormous districts. Uruguay is,
however, infinitely better provided with running rivers and streams than
Argentina.
It was a long time before the native Argentine small farmer could be got
to see the real economy of outlay on artesian wells and still in the more
illiterate outlying Provinces are to be found men as yet unconvinced in
that regard.
One of the agricultural instructors which the Argentine Government keeps
travelling all over the country to give advice and instruction to farmers
told the present writer not so very long ago that he had tried very hard
but without success to persuade a man in a remote corner of Argentina,
whose stock was daily dying of drought, to sink at least one artesian
well on his property, and even offered to erect a windmill for him free
of all cost except that of the actual mill.
At last, one evening, the farmer consented to this proposal, but the
following morning brought a cloudy sky. Pointing dramatically to this
he said, “Why should I sink wells? See! Rain is coming.” After that,
my friend, the expert, gave the matter up in disgust. It was of no use
telling the farmer that drought might come again. Sufficient for the day
had been the evil thereof; and, as for future troubles, why meet them
half-way?
Uruguay is relatively very rich in sheep, which thrive well on her
undulating lands, and exports wool to the annual value of well over
£4,000,000.
The value of Argentine annual wool exports now totals over £9,000,000.
The real commencement of the pastoral as well as the agricultural
industries of the River Plate in systematized form was the introduction
of fences by a landowner named Olivera, in 1838. As may be conjectured,
the erection of boundaries where none had ever been before, on properties
the titles to and limits of which were of the vaguest description, mostly
partook of the nature of an arbitrary proceeding. So evidently thought
Manuel Rozas, the tyrant; who summarily prevented Olivera from continuing
the fencing the latter had begun on his estancia “Los Remedios,” although
Olivera’s new boundaries were but ditches crowned with quick-set hedges
of “Añapinday” (_Acacias affinis_).
After the death of Rozas, however, in 1844, an English estanciero,
Richard Newton, first employed iron wire for some of the enclosures of
his property; and, later, another landowner, named Halbach, completely
enclosed the whole of his estancia.
The founder of the Argentine Rural Society, Dr. Eduardo Olivera, says in
one of his agricultural essays:—
To these three men (Olivera, Newton and Halbach) the Republic
owes the transformation of its pastoral and agricultural
industries.
It was only after the enclosing of lands that refining of stock became
possible. Previously, a stock-owner was always subject to invasion by
stray animals (often in large numbers) belonging to his neighbours.
Thus, as we have seen, the first step, the introduction of wire fencing,
towards the present development of the Live Stock industry of the River
Plate was initiated by an Englishman, and it was another Englishman, Mr.
John Miller, who, in 1848, imported from England, for a Mr. White, the
owner of the estancia “La Campana,” _Tarquin_, the first shorthorn bull
ever seen on the River Plate.
Therefore the River Plate Territories really owe their pastoral
development as well as their railways to the Anglo-Saxon race.
Some ten years later it became the fashion to import stallions of the
carriage and riding kinds; it not being foreseen that the heavier breeds
would also prove useful.
Then came the turn of sheep-breeding; first from imported Merinos. Later,
Rambouillets were introduced and a little later again the Lincoln began
to assert its right to the predominance it has since attained.
In 1866 the Argentine Rural Society was founded by a few leading
estancieros. Still a private society, its admirable and constantly
progressive efforts, usually crowned with success, have given it a status
which is practically official.
The Society has a Registration Office which keeps authoritative Herd and
Flock Books in which are entered the pedigrees of all the pure-breed
cattle, sheep and horses in the country whose owners have applied for
such registration; except thoroughbred horses and merino sheep, the
breeders of which last have not yet arrived at the definition of the
purity of that class of sheep. The walls of this Office are lined with
the Herd and Flock Books of the Breeding Societies of Great Britain and
her Colonies, and, as Mr. Herbert Gibson, himself a prominent member of
the Society, tells us, “there is not in the whole world an analogous
office which covers so diverse and numerous a registration.”
The latest (1908) official Argentine live stock Census gives the
following tables of, respectively, the importation of pedigree bulls and
cows and pedigree rams and ewes, from 1880 to 1907.
PEDIGREE BULLS AND COWS
Official
No. of values.
Head. $ gold.
From the United Kingdom 14,624 3,770,031
” France 583 120,724
” Belgium 325 75,235
” the United States 169 41,200
” Germany 153 27,770
” Chile 113 27,034
” Italy 62 9,553
” Holland 50 5,300
” Spain 40 5,700
” Other countries 40 13,870
------ ---------
16,156 4,492,372
------ ---------
PEDIGREE RAMS AND EWES
Official
No. of values.
Head. $ gold.
From the United Kingdom 65,724 3,141,971
” Germany 3,327 207,833
” France 1,184 60,154
” the United States 502 33,250
” British Possessions 223 15,500
” Belgium 209 19,829
” Australia 125 5,100
” Spain 128 8,165
” Italy 56 540
” Holland 10 30
------ ---------
71,488 3,492,372
------ ---------
Total value of cattle and sheep imported for breeding purposes during the
above indicated period $7,588,780 gold—£1,517,756. These animals have
proved worth vastly more than the prices paid for them.
Prior to this, in 1858, the first Rural Show was organized at Palermo.
It was not a success. As Dr. Zeballos has written, “It was held in the
midst of public indifference and passed utterly unnoticed by the press.”
However, it seems to have only been a sort of fair at which all kinds of
other wares jostled some rural produce. In face of this fiasco it is not
surprising that no other Rural Show was held until thirteen years later;
when a really Rural Show was held in the City of Córdoba. This appears to
have had as much success as was to be expected after taking difficulties
of transport into consideration.
The real commencement, however, of the series of great annual shows now
held at Palermo was made by the Rural Society in 1875.
The chief live stock exhibits at these shows consists of—
HORSES. “Criollos” (native breed).
Saddle and race horses.
Light draught.
Heavy draught (now in the majority).
CATTLE. Shorthorn (in a very large majority).
Hereford.
Polled Angus.
Dairy breeds.
SHEEP. Merino.
Lincoln-Merino crossbreds.
Lincoln.
Romney Marsh.
Shropshire Down.
Oxford Down.
Hampshire Down.
Leicester.
The majority of the sheep exhibits are Lincolns and Merinos.
Fine Pigs and Poultry of all kinds are also to be seen at these shows,
but they are chiefly contributed by the wealthier estancieros. As has
been indicated, the day of pig and poultry farming on a large practical
scale has not yet dawned on the River Plate.
Mr. Herbert Gibson shows us, in his valuable Monograph attached to the
Argentine National Agricultural and Live Stock Census of 1908, that the
coming of Cold Storage establishments, as well as the increase of the
export trade for animals on the hoof, was very largely instrumental in
securing the predominance of the Lincoln breed, most frequently crossed
with merino.
Merino for wool and Lincoln for mutton; and the cross which preserves the
best qualities of both is in effect the guiding rule of the River Plate
sheep-breeder of to-day. However, with the coming of alfalfa came also
the various black-faced or Down breeds which mature quickly into fine
meat carcases.
It may be said that barbed wire, iron water-drawing windmills and cold
storage establishments are the chief inanimate supports of the River
Plate Live Stock industries. Another should be trees; the prime necessity
of which to afford shade for animals which know no other roof but the
heavens, from which a very hot sun shines on the Pampa in summer time, is
not yet as generally appreciated as it should be. Still the planting of
trees on pasture lands began some years ago, and only could be wished to
spread more quickly and universally than it has yet done.
One is all too apt in dealing with the River Plate Republics to confine
one’s ideas regarding them to industries of a magnitude commensurate with
the huge extent of their Territories; but with the coming of the real
colonist, when he does come, the mixed farming which, necessarily for his
own comfort, he will bring with him will greatly enhance the importance
of milch breeds of cattle, pigs, poultry and the produce of the kitchen
garden in the rural economy of the River Plate.
ARGENTINE LIVE STOCK
(LAST CENSUS, 30TH MAY, 1908)
-------+------------+----------------------------------
| | OFFICIAL VALUATION.
| Number of |----------------------------------
| Head. | $ currency. | Equivalent in £.
-------+------------+---------------+------------------
Cattle | 29,116,625 | 938,685,834 | 81,981,295
Sheep | 67,211,758 | 287,359,076 | 25,096,863
Horses | 7,531,376 | 205,826,834 | 17,976,143
Mules | 465,037 | 22,561,075 | 1,970,399
Swine | 1,403,591 | 15,672,637 | 1,368,789
Goats | 3,945,086 | 8,321,839 | 726,798
Asses | 285,088 | 2,854,950 | 249,341
+---------------+------------------
| 1,481,282,245 | 129,369,628
+---------------+------------------
EXPORTS OF PRINCIPAL ARGENTINE ANIMAL PRODUCTS, 1885 TO 1913
------+----------+---------+----------+----------+-----------+-----------
| Salted | | | | Salted |
| Horse |Dry Horse|Goatskins.| Kidskins.| Ox and |Dry Ox and
YEARS.| Hides. | Hides. | $ gold. | $ gold. | Cow Hides.|Cow Hides.
| $ gold. | $ gold. | | | $ gold. | $ gold.
------+----------+---------+----------+----------+-----------+-----------
1885 | 682,260| 65,651| 1,081,762| 641,050| 4,488,204| 7,511,919
1886 | 587,271| 86,178| 306,577| 502,040| 3,649,287| 6,267,592
1887 | 523,128| 231,236| 460,140| 699,569| 3,639,095| 8,408,742
1888 | 815,840| 84,745| 585,478| 864,111| 4,584,728| 10,046,281
1889 | 759,588| 77,487| 821,590| 598,677| 5,260,945| 8,448,069
1890 | 519,483| 82,074| 1,023,478| 754,295| 5,171,473| 5,759,745
1891 | 908,912| 146,275| 676,329| 687,851| 3,782,143| 5,049,556
1892 | 380,274| 142,278| 493,647| 593,111| 3,901,454| 6,056,865
1893 | 673,936| 205,186| 392,958| 607,019| 3,073,310| 5,869,157
1894 | 758,393| 287,769| 588,458| 819,045| 3,553,198| 7,045,877
1895 | 1,381,719| 203,652| 648,600| 765,702| 6,332,204| 8,940,950
1896 | 360,109| 141,847| 689,031| 687,928| 4,598,515| 6,600,005
1897 | 515,708| 240,763| 779,750| 652,331| 4,605,572| 8,596,344
1898 | 522,368| 288,734| 1,282,816| 439,546| 5,171,440| 6,887,596
1899 | 459,824| 233,484| 1,211,087| 541,632| 4,334,832| 8,001,132
1900 | 389,625| 274,428| 770,499| 260,119| 5,285,819| 8,159,542
1901 | 390,826| 293,405| 791,745| 304,494| 5,281,756| 8,848,438
1902 | 406,794| 460,906| 823,328| 292,704| 6,384,955| 8,822,302
1903 | 453,237| 424,616| 847,465| 221,996| 5,360,748| 7,787,819
1904 | 507,450| 368,450| 1,078,196| 285,630| 5,367,610| 8,256,351
1905 | 160,799| 444,027| 1,080,305| 264,462| 9,147,153| 9,929,391
1906 | 68,933| 507,738| 1,116,762| 256,976| 8,458,664| 10,570,124
1907 | 51,691| 261,721| 574,204| 237,055| 8,345,410| 8,175,722
1908 | 18,740| 248,077| 934,174| 184,276| 7,232,842| 8,452,819
1909 | 28,026| 657,009| 1,124,524| 335,735| 14,214,746| 14,763,693
1910 | 15,526| 484,893| 1,001,824| 310,694| 16,953,372| 13,758,036
1911 | 33,374| 591,748| 998,631| 285,114| 19,642,362| 14,797,653
1912 | 23,112| 356,305| 1,231,906| 228,604| 24,844,075| 17,285,501
1913 | 20,394| 375,253| 1,162,878| 270,857| 24,543,795| 13,988,905
+----------+---------+----------+----------+-----------+-----------
Totals|12,417,340|8,265,934|24,578,142|13,592,623|228,209,707|263,086,126
+----------+---------+----------+----------+-----------+-----------
= £ | 2,463,757|1,640,066| 4,876,615| 2,696,954| 45,279,703| 52,199,628
------+----------+---------+----------+----------+-----------+-----------
------+-----------+-------------+----------+-----------+----------
| | | Horse | |
YEARS.|Sheepskins.| Wool. | hair. | Tallow. | Butter.
| $ gold. | $ gold. | $ gold. | $ gold. | $ gold.
------+-----------+-------------+----------+-----------+----------
1885 | 6,267,377| 35,950,111| 1,004,649| 3,489,169| —
1886 | 6,350,671| 31,711,604| 775,977| 1,715,158| —
1887 | 6,698,408| 32,749,315| 998,643| 788,777| —
1888 | 5,610,923| 44,858,606| 1,257,970| 2,140,393| —
1889 | 11,386,593| 56,709,774| 1,157,525| 3,297,471| 1,618
1890 | 6,787,108| 35,521,681| 929,686| 1,996,629| 9,608
1891 | 4,833,991| 36,037,518| 936,470| 2,391,388| 660
1892 | 9,618,175| 44,326,060| 790,227| 2,263,729| 3,045
1893 | 4,158,777| 25,006,348| 829,762| 2,549,763| 8,347
1894 | 4,915,384| 28,948,933| 996,468| 2,809,450| 5,850
1895 | 3,711,966| 31,029,522| 1,070,770| 3,807,751| 123,600
1896 | 4,061,055| 33,516,049| 902,441| 3,179,326| 225,771
1897 | 4,094,640| 37,450,244| 980,650| 2,656,048| 249,928
1898 | 6,194,267| 45,584,603| 1,099,465| 2,862,512| 231,626
1899 | 9,308,535| 71,283,619| 1,129,912| 2,205,593| 294,872
1900 | 7,472,988| 27,991,561| 1,136,107| 2,803,327| 263,939
1901 | 7,339,811| 44,666,483| 1,004,677| 3,902,715| 377,545
1902 | 8,487,078| 45,810,749| 1,064,646| 6,209,038| 1,277,969
1903 | 10,132,065| 50,424,168| 1,147,879| 4,755,579| 2,132,056
1904 | 8,676,025| 48,355,002| 1,025,580| 4,012,083| 2,117,761
1905 | 9,483,396| 64,312,927| 1,245,788| 5,321,099| 2,157,294
1906 | 8,513,910| 58,402,771| 1,243,812| 3,482,526| 1,762,130
1907 | 8,458,030| 59,252,948| 1,280,122| 4,806,835| 1,214,173
1908 | 5,626,416| 47,246,183| 1,143,615| 6,030,601| 1,419,867
1909 | 8,483,993| 59,921,151| 1,368,724| 7,573,230| 2,597,089
1910 | 8,623,922| 58,847,699| 1,335,160| 9,536,681| 1,150,610
1911 | 7,724,872| 50,494,027| 1,581,710| 11,768,900| 558,253
1912 | 7,657,157| 58,148,664| 2,111,177| 11,314,728| 1,470,682
1913 | 5,586,253| 45,270,016| 2,681,723| 9,944,642| 1,513,758
+-----------+-------------+----------+-----------+----------
Totals|206,263,786|1,309,828,336|34,221,335|129,617,141|21,068,053
+-----------+-------------+----------+-----------+----------
= £ | 40,925,354| 259,886,575| 6,789,947| 25,717,686| 4,180,169
------+-----------+-------------+----------+-----------+----------
------+-------------
|
YEARS.| Totals.
| $ gold.
------+-------------
1885 | 61,182,152
1886 | 51,952,355
1887 | 55,187,053
1888 | 70,849,074
1889 | 88,519,337
1890 | 58,555,260
1891 | 55,451,093
1892 | 68,568,865
1893 | 43,374,563
1894 | 50,728,825
1895 | 58,016,456
1896 | 54,962,077
1897 | 60,721,978
1898 | 70,564,973
1899 | 100,004,524
1900 | 54,809,954
1901 | 73,201,895
1902 | 80,040,469
1903 | 83,687,628
1904 | 80,050,138
1905 | 103,546,641
1906 | 94,384,346
1907 | 92,657,911
1908 | 78,537,610
1909 | 111,067,920
1910 | 112,018,417
1911 | 108,476,644
1912 | 124,671,911
1913 | 105,358,474
+-------------
Totals|2,251,148,523
+-------------
= £ | £446,656,453
------+-------------
The average annual value of the Live Stock products of Uruguay during
the five years ending 1913 was $39,682,850 (Uruguayan) = £8,443,315.
Similarly with Cereal Exports, Live Stock Exports dropped in 1914, but
have more than recovered during 1915. Evidently, however, no War-time
Export Statistics can be taken as indications of the true productiveness
of the countries concerned.
THE MEAT TRADE
The export of Meat from the River Plate Territories is no new thing; the
first of such exports being authorized by Philip III of Spain in 1602.
The export under this edict was entirely confined to jerked beef; the
salting industry only obtaining important development considerably later.
It was not until 1793 that we find another Royal Edict which granted
freedom from Export and Import duties for the salted meat and tallow of
Buenos Aires.
About three-fourths of the exports under these Edicts usually went to
Havana and the remainder to Spain.
The next development of this industry was begun when in 1841 a certain
Hipolito Doinnel established a salting factory at the foot of the Cerro
at Montevideo; at which he also manufactured soap, candles and sulphuric
acid.
During all this period the export of hides was constantly much greater
than that of meat.
The first mention of the export of horse hair relates to the year 1585,
when from 300 to 400 mares were ordered to be killed so that their tails
might be sent to the Guinea coast to be bartered for slaves.
The first privilege or patent granted in the now already independent
River Plate Territories for meat preservation was granted by the Congress
at Paraná, in 1854, to one Samuel Laffone Quevedo for the exclusive use
of a machine invented by him for the preparation and pressing of salted
beef.
Further experiment in preservation, by either heat, cold or in a vacuum,
led to many local patents being granted for various processes from the
year 1867 onward, to the present day in fact; in respect of alternative
systems or suggested improvements of those generally in use.
The historic beginning, however, of the present River Plate Meat Industry
was made in the year 1877 in the spring of which _La Frigorifique_ and in
the autumn of which _La Paraguay_, specially fitted boats, sailed from
Buenos Aires with cargoes of meat preserved by the freezing and chilling
systems discovered by Mr. Charles Tellier.
Thus, while in the past the River Plate Territories exported only
sun-dried meat for the slaves on the Brazilian and Havana sugar
plantations, now they supply meat to the most highly civilized and
exacting countries of the world.
The free export of frozen meat was sanctioned by the Argentine Congress
in 1884, two years after the first of the existing cold storage
establishments in Argentina had been started by Mr. Alfred Drabble. An
establishment which still continues to carry on business successfully
under the control of “The River Plate Fresh Meat Company.”
Other large companies which exploit this industry are the Sansinena
“La Negra” (est. 1883), the “Las Palmas Produce Co.” (est. 1892), the
“La Plata Cold Storage Co.” (est. 1902), the “La Blanca” Cold Storage
(est. 1902), the Sansinena “Cuatreros” (est. 1903), “The Smithfield and
Argentine Meat Co.” (est. 1905), and the “Frigorifico” (est. 1905).
The Meat Trade recognizes an average difference of weight between
Argentine and Uruguayan beef and between Argentine, Uruguayan and
“Patagonian” mutton. Argentine quarters of beef run about 12 to the ton
and Uruguayan about 14 to the ton. Argentine mutton carcases run about
40, Uruguayan about 45 to the ton, and mutton carcases from Patagonia (in
Argentina) some 2 or 3 lbs. lighter than Uruguayan.
Already in March, 1915, British Trade Reports showed that the meat trade
in Great Britain was particularly dull on account of the extremely
high prices ruling and the impossibility of retailers being able to
get an equivalent in their shops. Since then, through the fact of the
Governments of the belligerent powers being, as they are and are expected
to be, large buyers, the conditions of the British Trade have been
completely, if temporarily, changed by the War.[44]
MEAT TRADE EXPORTS FROM 1885 TO 1913
------+-----------+-----------+---------+----------+----------+----------
| Frozen | | Sundry | | |
| & chilled | Frozen | frozen |Preserved |Extract of| Powder of
| beef | mutton | meats | meats | beef | meat
YEARS | | | | | |
| $ gold | $ gold | $ gold | $ gold | $ gold | $ gold
------+-----------+-----------+---------+----------+----------+----------
1885 | 1,680| 75,323| — | — | — | —
1886 | 12,800| 360,508| 1,876| — | 169,991| —
1887 | — | 963,112| 8,837| — | 75,888| 15,250
1888 | 3,326| 1,459,839| 38,343| 13,809| 128,080| 117,457
1889 | 58,742| 1,322,604| 17,930| 101,714| 105,668| 19,830
1890 | 53,029| 1,633,105| — | 42,661| 375,132| 19,175
1891 | 5,902| 1,862,247| 31,211| 258,926| 389,454| 62,116
1892 | 22,695| 2,034,898| 49,217| 633,601| 520,892| 226,288
1893 | 222,279| 2,003,254| 34,324| 196,080| 198,070| 75,497
1894 | 12,400| 1,864,110| 59,645| 65,250| 134,393| 21,562
1895 | 63,482| 1,675,273| 16,120| 92,325| 208,399| 21,217
1896 | 119,863| 1,804,205| 24,204| 204,315| 683,487| 13,551
1897 | 169,644| 2,035,778| 27,903| 115,127| 257,772| 5,582
1898 | 234,681| 2,393,358| 38,839| 162,294| 605,522| 58,034
1899 | 363,141| 2,265,069| 36,863| 181,600| 765,504| —
1900 | 2,458,957| 4,512,973| 70,797| 140,480| 230,416| —
1901 | 4,490,447| 5,041,023| 91,648| 94,717| 433,590| —
1902 | 7,001,833| 6,405,804| 163,820| 164,404| 592,696| —
1903 | 8,151,956| 6,251,959| 203,973| 374,154| 693,174| —
1904 | 9,774,354| 7,089,287| 272,308| 242,861| 414,188| 4,885
1905 | 15,285,693| 6,268,059| 356,299| 248,826| 870,950| 599,460
1906 | 15,380,897| 5,391,055| 400,275| 125,908| 842,142| 959,203
1907 | 13,822,162| 5,582,781| 450,198| 159,477| 1,791,574| 1,536,828
1908 | 18,081,443| 6,307,688| 740,421| 178,057| 1,379,952| 1,239,918
1909 | 21,065,747| 5,319,612| 649,206| 639,013| 2,702,988| 1,057,675
1910 | 25,370,815| 6,008,133| 721,618| 1,215,370| 3,046,680| 1,267,964
1911 | 31,283,396| 6,873,285| 946,859| 1,541,333| 1,031,154| 904,730
1912 | 34,285,076| 5,613,971|1,017,992| 1,769,882| 1,223,860| 1,349,557
1913 | 36,622,889| 3,674,206| 910,311| 1,257,391| 1,598,136| 1,097,566
+-----------+-----------+---------+----------+----------+----------
Totals|244,419,329|104,092,519|7,381,037|10,219,575|21,469,752|10,673,945
+-----------+-----------+---------+----------+----------+----------
= £| 48,495,900| 20,653,277|1,464,480| 2,027,693| 4,259,871| 2,117,846
------+-----------+-----------+---------+----------+----------+----------
------+---------+----------------------+---------+----------+-----------
|Preserved| LIVE STOCK |Condensed| Jerked | Totals
YEARS | tongues |----------------------| soup | beef |
| | Cattle | Sheep | | |
| $ gold | $ gold | $ gold | $ gold | $ gold | $ gold
------+---------+----------------------+---------+----------+-----------
1885 | — | 2,345,313| 58,552| — | 4,204,077| 6,684,945
1886 | 27,267| 2,203,150| 41,557| — | 3,738,820| 6,555,969
1887 | 20,990| 1,415,625| 42,884| 8,257| 2,398,424| 4,949,267
1888 | 56,668| 1,798 251| 34,685| — | 3,456,787| 7,107,245
1889 | 58,706| 3,194,113| 66,526| 6,889| 6,139,875| 11,092,597
1890 | 185,412| 3,579,456| 159,428| 10,547| 3,913,304| 9,971,249
1891 | 195,753| 3,997,270| 387,545| 7,728| 3,566,854| 10,765,006
1892 | 198,813| 2,264,675| 170,422| 6,455| 4,100,488| 10,589,044
1893 | 171,584| 4,433,944| 362,904| — | 4,115,134| 11,813,070
1894 | 266,144| 4,540,160| 448,678| — | 4,564,447| 11,976,789
1895 | 158,911| 7,003,230| 1,292,527| 12,069| 4,225,419| 14,768,972
1896 | 127,980| 6,543,550| 1,536,056| 61,964| 3,217,541| 14,336,716
1897 | 112,270| 5,018,222| 1,512,684| 22,941| 2,466,313| 11,744,236
1898 | 112,044| 7,690,450| 1,733,963| 32,447| 2,116,468| 15,178,100
1899 | 116,439| 6,824,010| 1,631,041| 29,342| 2,038,413| 14,251,422
1900 | 204,196| 3,678,150| 594,675| 24,005| 1,979,557| 13,894,206
1901 | 205,525| 1,980,372| 78,248| 16,217| 2,879,455| 15,311,242
1902 | 167,854| 2,848,445| 368,656| 11,769| 2,647,450| 20,372,731
1903 | 142,170| 4,437,420| 503,241| 100,599| 1,542,018| 22,400,664
1904 | 189,400| 2,852,820| 85,219| 114,044| 1,391,931| 22,431,297
1905 | 155,615| 5,160,483| 364,209| 122,066| 3,738,444| 33,170,104
1906 | 91,200| 1,676,145| 315,359| 70,614| 596,643| 25,849,441
1907 | 227,119| 2,062,390| 331,701| 107,789| 1,178,056| 27,250,075
1908 | 262,058| 1,876,820| 311,376| 115,822| 772,819| 31,266,374
1909 | 360,444| 4,087,820| 265,908| 188,735| 1,325,053| 37,662,201
1910 | 284,352| 4,056,450| 231,540| 204,293| 1,033,020| 43,440,235
1911 | 214,150| 8,202,750| 332,070| 175,744| 1,661,615| 53,167,086
1912 | 189,523| 9,140,089| 314,694| 197,433| 1,400,748| 56,502,816
1913 | 131,952| 6,848,830| 311,991| 375,392| 658,097| 53,486,761
+---------+----------------------+---------+----------+-----------
Totals|4,634,539|122,120,394|13,888,339|2,023,161|77,067,270|617,989,860
+---------+----------------------+---------+----------+-----------
£| 919,551| 24,230,236| 2,755,622| 401,421|15,291,125|122,617,022
------+---------+----------------------+---------+----------+-----------
During 1914 the meat producers and importers were alarmed by the purchase
of most of the chief River Plate cold storage establishments by United
States companies, who were credited with the intention of forming a
“combine” to monopolize the industry. Certainly at the commencement of
1914 they were paying high prices to estancieros and selling considerably
increased exports at low prices in the British markets. It would appear,
however, as if matters were in the course of adjustment between all the
River Plate Cold Storage companies when the War came and, as has just
been indicated, altered all the conditions of the meat markets.
For all the above causes it is difficult to assign a _value_[45] to
recent River Plate Meat Exports. Exports which it must be remembered
leave no record as having paid _ad valorem_ export duty, since they are
duty-free exports.
As for the future of this trade there can be little doubt but that it
will continue to increase commensurately with the available quantity of
live stock of high quality. The Cold Storage Companies will buy no other
and thus have constantly encouraged and advanced scientific breeding on
the River Plate. It may safely be assumed that this trade is not likely
to lose by the occurrence or effects of the War.
Recently, in view of what seemed a threatened shortage of cattle for
export demands, producers commenced breeding from one-year-old cows;
instead of beginning only at two years of age, as formerly was the South
American custom.
Not only do the Cold Storage Companies export Meat but they also work
up into marketable forms the various by-products of the animals they
slaughter.
[Illustration: ARGENTINE MEAT TRADE 1888-1913
Progress of Exports in the last 26 years
NOTE.—As will be noticed from the subjoined tables, the decrease for 1913
was due to a falling off of the exports of frozen mutton and of cattle on
the hoof.]
[Illustration: FROZEN AND CHILLED BEEF
Progress of Argentine Exports compared with the principal exporting
countries]