40 THE FARMER'S OUTLOOK 



Territory. In the present year the return is likely 

 to show a substantial fall, as 3,000,000 acres are 

 reported to have been ruined by drought. 



With regard to live stock, the most marked 

 tendency was the serious diminution in sheep. 

 The census of 1908 put the falling off at no less 

 than 7,000,000 head since 1895. Without relying 

 too much on this estimate, the advent of cultiva- 

 tion has diminished flocks and pushed a consider- 

 able proportion of the balance into the out dis- 

 tricts, especially the south and west. Partial 

 droughts during the two years, 1910-n, 1911-12, 

 have also been a contributory cause of the lower 

 numbers. During the last two years lamb exports 

 have increased as shown in the table opposite, 

 total shipments for the last five years remaining 

 practically stationary. There are some indica- 

 tions that mixed farming is coming into vogue, 

 and this should correct the decline in sheep 

 stocks. The last official estimate of sheep puts 

 the total on 31st December, 1911, at 80,401,000, 

 as against 72,539,000 on 31st December, 1910 

 The other evidence, such as exports of wool, 

 sheep skins, and sheep carried on the railways, 

 given in the table opposite, does not appear to 

 confirm this estimate. 



The head of cattle at present in the Argentine 

 is estimated at some 28J million. The latest 

 Official Report on the consumption of cattle for 



