yio The Agricultural Resources of Argentina, [dec, 



The cultivation of alfalfa (lucerne) in the western lands 

 has created an adequate grazing area for the preparation of 

 beef cattle, and the development of the chilled-beef trade 

 has provided a corresponding market. Chilled beef is kept 

 at a uniform temperature not exceeding 29. 2° Fahr. or des- 

 cending below 27. 2 0 Fahr., under which conditions the juice 

 vessels underlying the surface are not contracted suffi- 

 ciently to cause them to burst when expanded under 

 the thawing process — this being the demerit of frozen beef. 

 The improvement in the quality of the cattle has for its direct 

 cause the chilled-meat trade allied to the alfalfa grazing zone. 

 Of 14 million odd breeding or "wet" cows nearly one-half 

 have been scheduled as Shorthorns. The Shorthorn breed is 

 that which predominates, and it is likely to continue to do 

 so, though Argentine breeders are not obsessed by any 

 prejudice against other breeds. It may be mentioned that 

 there are 49,750 head of pedigree cattle registered in the Herd 

 Books of the Argentine Rural Society, and of these 27,268 

 are females. 7,360 of the foregoing are imported, and 42,390 

 were born in the country. The number of Shorthorns on the 

 Register (exclusive of Lincoln Reds) is 36,649. 



With eleven and a half million acres of alfalfa, affording 

 a grazing area for ten million cattle, Argentina is fully 

 equipped to fatten and finish for the requirements of the 

 European and local markets all the steers the country can 

 breed. Stock-owners in the alfalfa zones do not raise all the 

 stores they require; many of them, indeed, do not breed al 

 all, but limit themselves to buying stores and fattening them. 

 As the alfalfa area increases— and it is increasing very rapidly 

 — the question arises whether the country can breed sufficient 

 stores for the graziers. The question already has arisen to 

 this extent, that in normal seasons yearling steers have been 

 selling of late, in store condition, at prices relatively higher 

 than those obtained for finished bullocks. In other words, 

 the breeder has had command of the trade. Nevertheless 

 the breeding area of Argentina is very vast, and much 

 unused land is still available. In the widening alfalfa zone, 

 too, the grazier will in time use his rich pasture for breeding 

 as well as for feeding. 



Machinery. — The machinery, appliances, and tools re- 



