ARGENTINA 



This magnificent country lies within lat. 22 to 56 south ; its 

 area is 1,139,979 square miles, and its population 8,500,000. 

 It is bounded by Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay 

 and the Atlantic Ocean, and is at the present time the main 

 exporter of frozen and chilled beef in the world. It is not 

 likely that during the next quarter of a century any 

 other country will rival it. Its most promising competitor 

 is Brazil, which will have the advantage of a four days' 

 shorter trip to the Home market ; but the Brazilians 

 have a very long way to go to catch up their southern 

 neighbour in the quality of their live-stock. The rise of the 

 frozen meat export trade of Argentina reads like a romance, 

 and it is given in detail in that excellent work by the late Mr. 

 J. T. Critchell, and Joseph Raymond, London representatives 

 of The Pastoral Review, " The History of the Frozen Meat 

 Trade." As late as the eighties in the last century, Argentine 

 cattle, of which there were vast herds, were poor and miserable, 

 simply killed for their hides and dried beef. But directly 

 refrigeration was perfected, the wealthy estancieros went to 

 Britain and purchased the very best sires procurable ; money 

 was no object, so long as they got the best, and this has gone 

 on ever since. Although other countries get some excellent 

 sires, the very best still go to Argentina, and still they pay 

 the highest prices for what they take a fancy to. Shorthorns, 

 Herefords, Angus, Devons and Lincoln Reds — representatives 

 of all these types are in great demand. There is still abundant 

 land both for breeding and fattening more cattle. As more land 

 is laid down in alfalfa, so more cattle can be annually turned 

 off young and of big weights for the freezing works. It is stated 

 by one authority that not one-fifth of Argentina has yet been 

 called into productivity, either for agriculture or cattle raising. 



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