THE LAND QUESTION AND COLONISATION 



121 



The farms are not very large ; those containing several thousand head 

 are rare. In general the improvement of horned cattle is reckoned as a 

 part of agriculture. 



To develop this industry, a high tax, 26 and 22 gold pesos per head, for 

 bulls and cows respectively, is levied on all cattle imported from the 

 Argentine Republic. Still this importation constantly increases, for the 

 national production falls far short of the demand, which grows greater 

 and greater. As we have seen was the case wdth cereals, Chile at one 

 time exported livestock to a considerable extent, for in 1867, the amoimt 

 of head exported was 123,145. Then, exportation gradually decreased, 

 and a progressive importation took its place ; thus in 1872 the value of 

 horned cattle imported was 713,872 gold pesos, in 1875 1,540,255 gold pesos; 

 in 1885, 3,149,192 gold pesos; in 1911, 19,402,750 gold pesos for 102,817 

 head of cattle imported from Argentina alone. From other countries, 

 the importation is small and limited to breeding stock. 



Naturally, there has been a corresponding rise in prices but in 

 spite of this the cultivation of cereals has been detrimental to that of 

 horned cattle improvement. So it has happened that, whilst fifty years 

 ago the breeding of horned cattle was the most important branch of in- 

 dustry', it is now not sufficient for the demands of consumption. It is 

 therefore natural that the improvement of horned cattle, like the pro- 

 duction of milk and butter, should he highlj'- remunerative. 



The following table gives some figures in regard to the prices of 

 livestock in June, 1913 on the market of Santiago, the difference in price 

 between fattened and lean livestock should be observed. 



Prices of Livestock. 



Value per head in pesos (paper) 



Cows 



Heifers (of about 2 years) 

 Bull calves (6-12 months) 



BuUs 



Oxen (Full grown) . . . 



Young oxen 



Sheep 



Goats 



Pigs (6-8 months). . . . 

 Horses, Asses etc. ... 



Lean 



Fattened 



The price of beef of the best quality was at the same period about 

 1.20 fr. per kg.; of lamb of the best quality, about 1.40 fr. per kg.; of 

 tallow, 60 centimes per kg. 



