THE WORLD'S MEAT TRADE 91 



the pioneer crop. In the same way cattle is the 

 pioneer animal crop. By stocking land with 

 cattle the ground is consolidated and a firm seed 

 bed for the better grasses is made. Districts 

 formerly stocked by cattle are turned into sheep 

 runs, which are often more profitable. Many 

 stages have to be passed before the cultivation of 

 forage plants such as lucerne which largely 

 increases the carrying capacity of the land can 

 be reached. We must therefore look to the 

 waste spaces of the earth for an increase in our 

 meat supplies. A territory sufficiently extensive 

 to tempt development by those possessed of 

 ample capital. No better barometer of the deve- 

 lopment of the cattle industry could be named 

 than the increase in fencing as the Argentine 

 imports of wire fencing sufficiently prove. 1 Capi- 

 tal is needed not only for this purpose, but also 

 because losses, which would ruin the small man, 

 must occur in the early stages. The capital 

 locked up in breeding cows, and young stock, 

 where steers are kept for three or four years before 

 they are marketed, may easily amount to many 

 thousands of pounds. Hence the tendency 

 amongst farmers, seen in all countries to buy 

 young cattle either to sell as " stores," or for 



1 Imports of wire fencing into the Argentine for the 

 years: — 1900, 36,567 tons; 1905, 66,876 tons; 1910, 

 91,309 tons. 



