756 Importation of Live Stock into Brazil, [jan., 



toral industries are likely to gain an importance among the 

 resources of Brazil at least equal to that of coffee or rubber. 

 Cattle, unknown to the Indians, were introduced by the Portu- 

 guese, and increased sufficiently to become wild in some parts 

 of the country. The Jesuits paid great attention to rearing, 

 and portions of all the States provide excellent pasture. The 

 old grazing lands have frequently gone out of cultivation, 

 but remain to show what could be done by drainage and 

 enterprise. Vast herds exist in Goyaz and Matto Grosso, and 

 the cattle, which are driven down by stages to the Rio Market, 

 sometimes take as long as a year on the journey. Want of 

 communications are at present hindering development, but 

 the railways which are being driven into the interior States 

 are likely to make a great difference in this respect. 



These facts are now recognised, and the improvement of 

 stock is accordingly a matter of first-rate importance, and of 

 special interest to English live-stock breeders, if it can be 

 shown that British breeds can be successfully introduced. 

 The following memorandum gives some account of the posi- 

 tion, and it will be seen that four-fifths of a recent order 

 given by the State of Minas has been for Indian cattle, which 

 are preferred for their immunity from fever and utility, on 

 account of size, for draught purposes. In many ways, hew- 

 ever, they are unsatisfactory, and experiments are being made 

 in other races. The opportunity is worth the attention of 

 breeders at home, though the question of freights makes it 

 likely that Argentina and Uruguay will have the best chance. 

 Up till now cattle imported over the Southern frontiers of 

 Brazil have been favoured in the way of duties, but recent 

 legislation has put the land and sea frontiers on a level. 

 Mr. Cheetham's memorandum runs as follows : — 

 Recent Orders for Imported Cattle.— Interest in cattle 

 breeding in Brazil has recently been aroused by a successful 

 show at Bello Horizome, which has resulted in the Govern- 

 ment of the State of Minas Geraes offering to import animals 

 from foreign countries, on behalf of farmers, for the purpose 

 of crossing with the rough native stock. The offer met with 

 an immediate response, the local farmers losing no time in 

 putting their names down for animals in accordance with their 

 individual choice. The sequel to the movement is that an 



