700 _ TRANSACTIONS OF SUB-SECTION K. 
cultivation of the lands hitherto devoted to ranching. The latter industry 
is quickly disappearing, and though it may exist for some time in the more 
arid districts and in the Peace River country, it is bound to give way, 
eyentually, before the settler. 
The history of the Canadian range from 1879 to the present day shows 
the rapid development of the cattle industry ; various difficulties and draw- 
backs have been experienced from time to time and there has been a 
deterioration in the class of cattle. astern stockers, and latterly Mexican 
cattle, have been intyoduced. 
The Federal Government has improved the standard of production by 
encouraging the sales of pure-bred bulls. 
The trade as now conducted is capable of much improvement. The 
methods of marketing cattle, especially those for export, are wasteful, 
unbusinesslike, and unprofitable to the producer. Grass-fed cattle, wild 
and soft, suffer much, and shrink badly, on the long railway journey to 
the sea-board. Conditions on Canadian cattle steamers are capable of 
being greatly improved. Business, badly conducted as it is, is profitable to 
the dealers, commission men, and railway and steamship companies, but 
unprofitable to the producer and to the country. It is advisable to finish 
our Western range cattle on grain and hay, of which the supply in Western 
Canada is unlimited, also to have better transportation facilities. Definite 
improvement in both these respects is already evident, and should be 
encouraged. 
Development of a dressed meat trade is also necessary and desirable. 
This fact is appreciated by many Western men, but there is great difficulty 
in securing the necessary large capital for such an enterprise. In view of 
the experience of the United States with the Beef Trust it is advisable to 
have some measure of Government control. 
Among the advantages of dead meat trade would be elimination of the 
present unavoidable heavy shrinkage in transport; regular and effective 
competition; steadying of present trade conditions; restoring confidence 
to producers who have hitherto suffered from dealers cutting prices when 
stock are plentiful and easy to obtain. 
It is most important to have an export outlet for meat products in the 
possible event of the appearance in Canada of any of the diseases scheduled 
by the British Board of Agriculture. The United States has many large 
packing-houses fully equipped to handle dead meat, also widely separated 
seaports and railways along the Atlantic coastline. Canada is practically 
without abattoirs equipped for the slaughter of cattle, except for home con- 
sumption, has no refrigerator car system, few ships with the facilities for 
carrying chilled meat, only two winter ports, and railways close together. 
Continuation of the live stock trade is advisable. Canada is most favour- 
ably situated, both geographically and by reason of the exceptionally healthy 
condition of her herds, to carry on a profitable export trade in live cattle. 
There is ample room for both branches ; each would balance the other, and if 
conducted in a businesslike way, both would be profitable to the country. 
2. Some Special Features of the Danish System of Cattle Breeding. 
By Dr. P. A. Morxesera. 
Denmark, mainly an agricultural country, which formerly grew corn for 
export and raised very little cattle, began to turn its attention to dairy 
farming after the middle of last century. With the introduction of the 
centrifugal cream-separator and the building of co-operative dairy factories 
all over the country in the ’eighties, the system of dairy farming spread to 
even the smallest farms. The question of improving the two national 
