592 CATTLE AND DAIRY FA3JMIKG, 



With all his valuable qualities and great utility he is worth oiily ?* 

 in tlu> market. 



Large droves of the ass are used to transport merchandise il^ci city 

 to village, and from hacienda to town over roads too rugged for w 



TvOBT. C. CAMPBELL, 



Consul. 

 UNITED STATES CONSULATE, 



Monterey, December 3, 1883. 



CATTLE-RAISING IN THE STATE OF TAMAULIPAS. 



EEPORT BY CONSUL SMITH, OF NUEVO LAREDO. 



In response to the cattle circular of July 18, 1883, 1 have the honor 

 to submit the following : 



For the purposes of this report inquiries have been made on a territory 

 150 miles long and 75 miles wide. 



THE TAMAULIPAS CATTLE-RANGE. 



The features of this territory have often been described, but it may 

 not be amiss to state that the greater part of it is a plain, not strictly 

 prairie, but resembling very decidedJy rolling prairie, broken by some 

 ranges of low hills. 



Covering this whole territory there is an abundant growth of a short 

 nutritious grass, upon which cattle thrive very finely. 



Cattle require neither feeding nor shelter, or what would perhaps de- 

 scribe the ordinary practice more correctly, they receive no care except 

 such as relates to herding. 



The soil is for the most part a sandy loam with a substratum of sand- 

 stone. Gravel is found on the hills. Clay is found in beds of no large 

 extent. Chalky limestone, which makes excellent lime, is found in 

 some localities. 



Water is very scarce and is often found at long distances only, 10 to 

 12 miles. This is a great drawback to cattle-raisers, it being so that 

 cattle must of necessity be driven several miles to water. A drought 

 means loss and damage to cattle-owners. The drought of the present 

 year, which was exceptionally severe, was absolutely disastrous to many 

 men and seriously decreased the number of animals. 



THE EFFECTS OF DROUGHT IN CATTLE -RAISING. 



It is estimated that there are now about 40,000 head of cattle on this 

 range. The larger part of these are held by men who have large 

 ranches and own the water they need. Small cattle-owners are largely 

 damaged in time of drought for the scarcity of water, and because the 

 scorched grass is innutritions. 



There are not many cattle near the Bio Grande, because of the facility 

 of escape by cattle-thieves across the river. 



The old Spanish breed of cattle is the only one found here. It is as- 

 serted by stockmen that the heavier breeds of cattle cannot be made 

 profitable, owing to the fact that they cannot endure the long trips to 

 aud from water. They say it does not seriously hurt these light-bodied 

 animals to o 10 miles a day for water, but that heavy-bodied animals 



