THE WORLD'S MEAT FUTURE 

 tains, with undulating plains of long grass broken by numerous 



<1iiiiiji> or belts <>f loW-si'/.cd trees. It is almost unnecessary 



t" Bay thai tlic lower lying portion of Venezuela consists of 

 unhealthy swamps with luxuriant vegetation, accompanied by 

 tropical fevers. The llanos have the rainy season in the 

 summer months. 



In the province of Apure the pastures are abundant all the 

 year, a great number of horses, mules and asses feeding on the 

 plains. The most elevated part, in the province of Trujillo, 

 has declivities with fine, well-wooded valleys, and between 

 them several plains descending in gentle slopes, covered with 

 fine pasture. Sheep are only numerous in the mountains and 

 hilly tracts, cattle, horses, mules and asses being run on the 

 plains or llanos, hence their name of cattle -plains. The greatest 

 heat is experienced on the cattle-plains ; on that undulating 

 country the thermometer ranges between 83 deg. and 95 deg., 

 and the mean annual heat, 83 deg., is greater than that of the 

 Equator at the sea-level. At the lower end of the Rio Apure 

 the heat is intolerable during the dry season, as the north- 

 easterly wind passes over the strongly heated surface of the 

 tableland before it arrives at the low plains of the Apure, and 

 thus the air feels as if it came from an oven, the same as on a 

 " brickfielder " day in parts of Australia. The heated sand, 

 which is suspended in the air and carried forward by whirl- 

 winds, renders it still more disagreeable. The temperature of 

 this part i- between 86 deg. and 98 deg., the mean annual heat 

 being 91 deg.. although it is much less in those parts which are 

 covered with forests. There the mean temperature is only about 

 77 'leg., and the thermometer ranges between 73 deg. and 82 

 deg. In the dry season the heat is greatest from January to 

 March, but in the wet, from July to December, it is 

 frequently accompanied by heavy thunderstorms, partially 

 charing the air. At this time of the year rains are generally 

 abundant and continual. By an estimate it has been found 

 that, on an average, it rains three hours every day, generally 

 towards evening ; about midsummer it sometimes does not 

 rain for a whole month. This season is called the Little 

 Summer of St. John. In the extensive forests of the southern 

 district the annual amount of rain is between 90 and 100 



