64 THE WORLD'S MEAT FUTURE 



the inside camps to the cheaper and less crowded hinds thus 

 opened up. In order to defray the cost of the campaign against 

 the Indians, four thousand leagues of land had been sold by the 

 Government, at the price of 400 gold dollars per square league. 

 P^'rom 1878 to about 1890 was a period of transition, migration 

 and settlement, no great progress being made in relining stock or 

 in cultivation, or in increased value of land. The increasing 

 areas placed under cultivation in the inside lands compelled 

 all breeders, who did not own their land, to seek new pastures, 

 with the result that from 1890 to the present day an amazing 

 development has taken place. The native type of both sheep 

 and cattle has almost entirely disappeared. The sires imported 

 from Europe have completely transformed the herds and tiocks 

 of a few years ago, so that to-day the average Argentine estancia 

 can compare favourably with any other similar establishment in 

 the world. The immense industry opened up with the advent 

 of the freezing companies, and the high standard exacted by the 

 requirements of their Europeaji customers, have done much to 

 improve Argentine live-stock. The praiseworthy, and eminently 

 successful efforts of the Argentine Kural Society towards raisin4> 

 the standard of Argentine live-stock by means of cattle shows, 

 prizes, publications, and propaganda, entitle them to the grateful 

 recognition of the whole country. 



During the past four years, although Argentina has increased 

 her beef exports, she has not been called upon for her limit 

 either in the export of beef or mutton, and the main stock su]iply 

 is getting a much required spell. At the conclusion of the war, 

 there should be available a very large supply of all kinds of 

 meat products from Argentina. 



Recently a friend, who was once a manager of a big Australian 

 station, wrote me from Argentina regarding their methods of 

 working Argentine cattle, and his views were as follows: — 



The paddocks are all small, about 1500 acres being a large 

 paddock ; usually they contain between 400 and 500 acres. All 

 classes of stock are kept separate, each age and class running 

 in adjacent paddocks; furthermore, all steers are graded, the 

 most advanced being drafted from the others, the one object 

 being to get them fit for market as early as possible. A buyer 

 from a frigorifico would leave in disgust, without offering, if 

 shown bullocks boxed up as is done in Queensland, and was 

 expected to offer for a percentage out of the herd. The steers 

 being nicely graded, the buyer can examine each lot, and make 

 his estimate to within a very narrow margin of their killing 



