630 CATTLE AND DAIRY FARMING. 



BRAZIL. 



CATTLE IN BRAZIL. 



BEPOBT BY CONSTTL-GENERAL ANDREWS, OF RIO DE JANEIRO. 

 DIFFICULTY OF OBTAININa CATTLE STATISTICS IN BRAZIL. 



I have for a, long time had in miud the Department's circular of 18th 

 July last iu respect to breeding cattle, but owing to the diflSculty of 

 obtaining information here on such a subject, I have been delayed in 

 giving a reply. 



The so-called "department of agriculture, commerce, and public 

 works of Brazil " is occupied principally with public works, and does 

 not collect or i)ublish statistics upon agriculture. Nor does there ap- 

 pear to be any society or organization which collects statistics on the 

 subject in question. There has been published in this country for many 

 years an Agricultural lieview in the Portuguese language and I have 

 carefully looked through all its back volumes, at the national library, 

 with the hope that I could find some information in regard to breeding 

 cattle. 1 found many articles on the subject, but they all related to 

 English or other foreign stock. Not a particle of information could I 

 find in respect to the cattle of Brazil. 



I have had to resort, therefore, for the facts contained in this renort 

 wholly to personal inquiry. 



BEAZILIAN CATTLE AND THE HOME MAR&ET. 



A rough estimate puts the number of horned cattle in Brazil at 

 20,000,000 head. 



Of course there are many and extensive areas in the interior with an 

 altitude of 2,000 feet above the sea, well adapted for raising, and which 

 now produce cattle ; yet owing to their remoteness they are not avail- 

 able for supplying some of the best markets with beef. It is a striking 

 fact that this city should have imported last year 54,000,000 pounds of 

 dried beef from Uruguay and the Argentine Eepublic. 



THE OLD NATIVE BRAZILIAN CATTLE. 



The old native race of Brazilian cattle has long horns and a yellow- 

 brown color. Having been introduced from Spain and Portugal over 

 two centuries ago they have the same origin probably as those now 

 found in California, New Mexico, and Texas, and are better adapted 

 for producing oxen and beef than for dairy purposes. 



Th(i oxen of this breed are very l^rge, being much larger, I should say, 

 than are usually seen in the United States or in the north of Europe. 



The accompanying photograph, taken in the interior of this province, 

 of a team of four yoke of oxen, shows the native oxen of Brazil of me- 

 dium size, but perhaps of less than usual flesh. The cart which they 

 are drawing represents the kind in common use, having solid wooden 



