Live Stock in Uruguay. 



383 



5>355>787 more than in 1898. This increase of 25 percent, 

 is attributed chiefly to a growing familiarity of the popula- 

 tion with the collection of similar returns, although the 

 people still frequently regard such inquiries with suspicion. 

 The number of each kind of stock in 1900 is given as 

 follows : — 



Cattle - - - - - - - - 6,827,428 



Horses 561,408 



Mules - - - - - - - - 22,992 



Sheep - - - 18,608,717 



Swine - - - - - - - - 93.923 



Goats - - - - - . ; t - - 20,428 



An interesting table is given concerning the nationalities 

 of the different owners of stock. Of foreigners, Brazilians 

 own the largest number of cattle (1,968,000), while Spaniards 

 come next with over 823,000 head, and they are followed by 

 English with 276,000 and French with 240,000. The Uru- 

 guayans themselves hold 3,135,030 head of cattle. Uru- 

 guayans hold 10,783,000 head of sheep ; Spaniards, 2,769,000 ; 

 Brazilians, 2,371,000; French, 1,142,000 ; English, 5 15,000 ; 

 and Italians, 479,000. The relatively large proportion of 

 cattle held by Brazilians is explained by the fact that the 

 northern districts bordering on Brazil are better suited for 

 raising cattle than sheep. 



No details are given of the pecuniary value of the herds 

 belonging to owners of different nationalities, and in esti- 

 mating their relative importance it must be remembered that 

 the herds vary greatly in value. The cattle belonging to 

 British subjects, for instance, although not relatively nume- 

 rous, are generally well bred and carefully selected beasts, 

 while the herds of Brazilians contain a large proportion of 

 small animals of the old native breed, which, though hardy, 

 have no great market value. 



Italians, although very numerous in Uruguay, do not 

 figure largely as stock owners, because the Italian immi- 

 grants belong almost entirely to the poorer classes, possess 

 very small holdings (when they do not prefer to remain in 

 the towns), and are content, owing to their great frugality, 

 with very small profits. 



German subjects are set down as owning 46,000 cattl e 



