;o8 The Agricultural Resources of Argentina, [dec, 



The cultivation of oats in Argentina is now becoming 

 general, and the area under this plant will increase rapidly. 

 The economy of making a proper winter provision for the 

 feeding of live stock has of late come to the front, and the 

 bitter experience of the recent drought will accelerate the 

 conviction that all cannot be left to nature. Oats for green 

 feed, for straw and for the stall, hay-making on a much more 

 extensive scale than has hitherto been practised, and the 

 cultivation of forage plants, are all features that will soon 

 become common-places on the Argentine stock-farm. Indeed, 

 except in the still virgin plains of the far south and west, the 

 days of the "ranch" are ended, and the plough has come 

 to stay. 



Live Stock. — The total live stock in the Republic in the 

 month of May, 1908, numbered as follows : — • 



Cattle 29,116,625 



Sheep 67,211,754 



Horses ... 7.531.376 



Mules and asses ... ... ... 750,125 



Goats ... 3,945,086 



Pigs... ... ... ... •. i,403>59i ; .>J 



The census was taken in the month of May, immediately 

 before the general annual lambing, and three to six months 

 before the general annual calving and foaling. The numbers, 

 therefore, represent the minimum or lowest level of the live- 

 stock capital of the country. 



The total number of breeding cows was 14,989,804. Of 

 this number 5,791,591 were returned as "criolla" or unim- 

 proved animals, and 8,198,213 as "mestiza" or improved 

 animals. The latter, classified according to their breeds, 

 were as follows : — 



Shorthorn ... '7,090,820 



Hereford 519,704 



Polled Angus 1 is, 561 



Red Poll 1,607 



Jersey ... ... 1,880 



Flemish ... ... .. ... 2,723 



Dutch 20,458 



Swiss ... ... ... 2 5 i°5 



Not specified 443>355 



The sheep stock, classified by age and sex, comprised the 

 following : — 



Rams ... 1,005,237 



Ewes 40,639,731 



Wethers, shearlings and upwards... 9,261,936 



Ewe and wether hoggets ... ... 14,189,121 



Lambs 2,115,729 



