OTHER SOUTH AMERICAN STATES 

 URUGUAY 



Uruguay, which extends from latitude 30 deg. to 40 deg. 

 South, is bounded on the north by Brazil, on the south 

 by Argentina, the west by Paraguay and Argentina, and on the 

 east by the Atlantic Ocean. The area of the country is 72,210 

 square miles, and the population about 1,750,000. It is the 

 smallest of the South American States. It has a wide, almost 

 unbroken, sweep of park-like plains with no big mountains. It 

 lias a network of rivers, and so is splendidly watered ; 700 miles 

 of the rivers are navigable. The camp, or grazing country, is 

 of a gently rolling nature, and it is difficult to find any large 

 part of it unprovided with a bountiful water supply. The 

 soil is deep and arable, and supplies good pasture for the herds 

 of cattle and sheep grazing on it. The climate is mild, with no 

 extremes of heat or cold, and the live-stock industry is the 

 chief source of the country's commerce, 37,500,000 acres of 

 the total area of the Republic being given over to pasturage. 



For a long time the preparation of jerked beef (tasajo) was 

 a leading industry in Uruguay, and during one year over 

 70(1.000 cattle were slaughtered for this product alone, making 

 over 1 1 .'{.ooo.ooo pounds of meat, with a value of about 

 £1.300.000. 



The number of cattle is about 8,000,000 and of sheep about 

 12,000,000. My last visit to Uruguay, in 1913, showed me 

 that very great improvement has taken place in recent years 

 in the flocks and herds through the introduction of stud cattle 

 and sheep from Great Britain. Merino sheep predominate, 

 and the wool indusl ry is a large one. Refrigeration has stepped 

 in. and the exports of meat are jumping ahead. As most of 

 the cattle are beef cattle, there is no reason, except shortage 

 of freezing works, why the export of beef should not amount 

 to 1,500,000 quarters per annum even at the present time. 



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