588 CATTLE AND DAIEY FARMING. 



stock-cattle in the eastern and southeastern part of the State keep iu 

 excellent condition the year round, and are generally of fine size. 



Worh-oxen. — The work-oxen are generally large and well-kept. The 

 native grasses are nutritious and abundant, when not choked out by 

 the chaparral. 



NATIVE PEBFEREED TO FOEBIGN BREEDS. 



The stockmen are paying no attention to the importation of foreign 

 breeds, preferring the native stock, which they say are more hardy, bet- 

 ter adapted to the climate, and hence better feeders, which is a very 

 important consideration, owing to the difficulties before mentioned. 



Cattle are only raised in this State for beef and work stock, and as 

 they already possess the qualities adapted to these purposes they see 

 no reason for a change or any improvement by crossing these with other 

 breeds. The improvement of cows for milk and butter purposes is en- 

 tirely overlooked a;nd not thought of, although there is ample room 

 for it. 



MILK, BUTTER AND CHEESE. 



Good milch cows are very rare ; in fact you might say that there are 

 none at all. Goat's milk is universally used for domestic'purposes, and 

 butter is as rare as manna. Nearly all the butter used is oleomargar- 

 ine imported from the United States, of a very inferior quality, which 

 retails at 60 cents a pound in Monterey. Of course such being, the 

 facts there is no cheese manufactured from cow's milk in this State. A 

 little of an inferior grade is made from goat's milk. AH the cheese con- 

 sumed here is manufactured near Monclora, in the State of Coahuila, 

 and that is not of the best quality. It is retailed here at about 30 cents 

 a pound. I am satisfied that if the stock was crossed by the Jersey, 

 Ayrshire, or some other good milk and butter yielding breed, a very 

 fine milch cow would be the result. But as there is very little deniand 

 here for cow's milk or butter, outside of a few hotels, I am afraid it 

 will be a long time before any one will have the enterprise to attempt 

 the experiment. 



CATTLE EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES. 



At least one-third of the cattle of this State have been shipped to 

 Texas or to other States in the last two years, which of course has en- 

 hanced their value very much. Two years ago cattle could be bought 

 in this State for an average of $5 a head ; now they command from $12 

 to $14 a head, which has put a stop to large purchases for shipment. 

 It will not compensate any one to buy cattle at the present prices too 

 far from railroad facilities and attempt to drive them through the coun- 

 try any considerable distance. The difficulties are numerous and ex- 

 pensive. It would be cheaper to buy them as near as possible to the 

 point where the prospective ranch is located, even at apparently exor- 

 bitant prices. I know of one party who purchased 1,500 head of cattle 

 last spring near Lenares, in this State, and attempted to drive them 

 through the country to a point near Piedras Kegras, who lost 600 of 

 them before he reached his destination. Another party started from 

 near the same place to the same destination a month later with 3,500 

 head and lost 20 per cent, of them, although he shipped the most of 

 them by rail the greater part of the way. These losses were caused by 

 the unreliability of Mexican herders, by which was caused stampedes 



