308 Journal of the Department op Agriculture. 



VETERINARY. 



Mr. James Chalmers, M.R.C.Y.S., Government Veterinary- 

 Officer, who has just completed a visit to Argentine, Uruguay, Brazil, 

 and England, in connection with the export of meat and its products, 

 furnishes the following preliminary remarks, to be amplified later on 

 by detailed reports, for the information of all interested in the 

 subject : — 



Argentine.— A.S is well known, this country supplies most of the 

 world's markets to-day with meat and meat products. It has a 

 population of 9^ millions. The following are the approximate figures 

 for stock at the last census in 1914, viz. : Cattle, 26 millions; sheep, 

 43^ millions; goats, 4^ millions; and pigs, 3 millions. 



Like the Union of South Africa, the Argentine is divided up 

 into districts or departments. The principal city in the Republic 

 is Buenos Aires, which has a population of 2| millions. It is here 

 that all of the frigorificos (or abattoirs) are situated at the coast. 



Although this country has to-day a great reputation for meat, 

 etc., I am informed by those better able to express an opinion that 

 there remains a still greater future before the Republic, and that the 

 possibilities are enormous. The country or veld appears to be of 

 greater density and of better quality than that of South Africa. The 

 low-lying veld is marshy and coarse, but the undulating upper veld 

 is on a par with the best to be seen in the United Kingdom. The 

 country generally is flat. The rainfall is good and spread over a 

 longer period than that of the Union. The farms or estancias are 

 large, but are cut up into fenced paddocks or camps, and are all run 

 in the latest up-to-date scientific manner. Where necessary, bore- 

 holes have been put down to get water, and complete irrigation exists. 

 The result is that all farms have large areas growing lucerne, into 

 which the cattle are turned three months prior to their being sold for 

 slaughter. Practically all farms haVe a cattle dipping tank to 

 eradicate ticks — as it is a punishable offence which is strictly enforced 

 to send cattle to the market showing tick infestation. 



All stock (cattle, sheep, and pigs) are loaded into trucks at one 

 end (of a row of trucks) and are driven through until they are one 

 by one filled, when dividing doors are let down at the ends. The 

 only difference is that sheep and pigs are conveyed in double-deck 

 trucks. This arrangement does away with the necessity of a large 

 loading " bank." 



Argentine farmers have to-day to thank their Bureau of Animal 

 Industries and its various divisions for the prosperity and develop- 

 ment which have produced such contentment amongst them. The 

 most important of these divisions is the Veterinary, which has the 

 meat inspection control as a sub-department. 



To give some idea of the importance of the meat inspection 

 department, there are under its control 12 frigorificos and 84 sausage 

 factories, which necessitate the employment of one chief of sub- 

 division (who is a veterinary officer), 64 veterinary officers, and 104 

 laymen (under control of veterinary officers). As a comparison, 

 there are only 57 veterinary officers in the whole Veterinary Division 

 of the Union of South Africa. 



