122 CHIIvE - MISCELIvANEOUS 



The improvement of livestock in the middle zone might be much more 

 developed, and the industries connected with it (milk, butter and cheese) 

 would benefit greatly if conducted on better systems, 



2. Sheep. — While the horned cattle is far from satisfying the demand 

 of the home market, the improvement of sheep on a large scale leaves a 

 large margin for exportation; in 191 1, the export of frozen mutton from 

 Punta Arenas alone amounted to 6,695 tons valued at 2,678,044 gold pesos. 



The region best adapted to sheep-rearing is the Territory of Ma- 

 gellan, that is the cold zone between 470 lat. and the extreme south of the 

 continent, between the Pacific Ocean and the Argentine frontier. 



The eastern slopes of the Cordilleras are covered with immense pastures, 

 which, owing to the severity of the climate are only fit for sheep improvement, 

 and this has only developed under great difficulties. Half a century ago there 

 were no sheep in tjie Territory of Magellan ; in 1877 ^^'^ ^^st flock of 300 

 animals was imported from the Falkland Islands, where some Englishmen 

 had flourishing sheep-farms. The farmers had at first to contend against 

 the depredations of the natives, as well as of pumas and other wild beasts, 

 but, in spite of all, there were in 1884 about 40,000 sheep. Up to that 

 time, the Government had made free grants of land to all who would settle 

 in the Territory of iMagellan as sheep farmers. But when this industry had 

 developed, it was decided to let the land for periods of a maximiim of 20 

 years, offering the leases for open competition; the minimum rent was to be 

 0.05 paper pesos the hectare for the first ten years and o.ii pesos for the 

 next ten. In the same 3^ear the first public competition took place by which 

 90 lots of land, some of them of 30,000 hectares each, were assigned to 

 various buyers, besides a lot of 90,000 hectares. The entire area of these 

 concessions amounted to 529,000 hectares ; the price was somewhat above 

 the minimum fixed. 



Some years later, further contracts for letting land were made, as 

 well as gratuitous concessions in Tierra del Fuego, where flourishing 

 companies for sheep rearing were established. Of these the most im- 

 portant was the Sociedad Exploradora de Tierra del Fuego (Tierra del 

 Fuego Exploitation Society), which obtained a grant of 1,000,000 hectares 

 (the largest yet made) on the following conditions. The grantee engaged (i) 

 to form within three years a society with a minimum capital of one 

 million pesos ; (2) within two years after the formation of the society 

 to introduce 10,000 sheep, 200 head of horned cattle and 150 horses, 

 asses etc.; (3) to pay to the State as the price of the concession 100,000 

 pesos at the expiration of the term, leaving all the improvements, the 

 livestock and the other moveables to the Cover mnent. 



In 1893 a new law was passed to prohibit gratuitous grants of land in 

 the iMagellan Territory and aU grants by private contract, and only per- 

 mitting the letting of land on the basis of public competition. From that time, 

 no other large companies were formed, but those already in existence con- 

 solidated themselves and prospered. 



An important lawconnectedwiththissubject was that of January 13th., 

 1902, authorising the Government to sell one million hectares in the Terri- 



