AMAZING ARGENTINE

Hokitika Guardian, 30 November 1928, Page 2

AMAZING ARGENTINE

FAR AUNG ON LARGE SCALE. DAIRY HERD OF ROOD COWS■!

Sent over to the Argentine liv his Government to investigate the agricultural and pastoral industry there, Air R. \Y. Thornton, Director of Field and Animal Husbandry lor South Africa, prepared an interesting report on his return.

The great cattle country of the Argentine was a stretch ol mud about* 750 miles long and -lot) miles wide, which was almost dead level,” stated the report, inter alia. Ihe rainfall was good and 'fell throughout the year, and while running was absent, water could he obtained by boring and wells.

This stretch of country in 1700 was covered with rank pampas grass and. about: the same time, the Spaniards introduced horses and long-horned cattle into the Argentine. Roth became* wild and increased to an amazing extent. Due, in the first instance, to private enterprise, good hulls were imported and crossed with the native cattle.

LUCERNE TN PLACE OF PAMPAS Following on the improvement ef the type of cattle, the land was broken up atid put tinder lucerne, and the origimP pampas lmd almost entirely (Ts’ppoared. and consequently land values were enhanced. The result of this had been that the carrying capacity ,of the land had lire'll increased so that the average carrying capacity was one beast to a morgen, hut, in some cases, it "ti c higher. Ranches of 100.000 acres and ever wen* met with carrying thousandof head of large and small sto*-k, and a I most the whole of the ranch under lucerne.

The Covcriimeiit did everything te IHs*ei* tlie stock industry, and many gm-,1 laws, protecting both buyer and senor of stock, had been passed, for example, all slock was sold per live weight, and the weighing of all stocksob! was undertaken hv tin* Government r, |* j, small fee. so that a buyer bought Ills stock on a Government cor* liked document.

The wealth of the Argentine soon attracted steamship companies, so that to-day there were seven large steamship companies, calling at the South American ports, and as the competition was keen, the producer scored in the matter of freight. Another side of the animal industry activities was that of dairying, lie had seen farms where .‘IOOO cows were milked under the most up-to-date and •hygienic condit ions.

As far as agriculture was concerned, the Argentine, o'f course, grew a large quantity of wheat and maize, and, during the harvesting season, Id).OOP Italians were imported lor working in the fields.” “ ltritAL sonKTIKS.” One of the most interesting institutions in the Argentine were tin; rural societies, with branches all over tic country. These societies took charge of the registration of all purebred stock, and handled agricultural transactions through their museums. These museums were a novelty. Instead ol ( having annual shows, farmers could, at any time, send in samples of their products, which were then judged and marks placed on a score-card. At the cud of the season the man who had obtained the highest number o'f marks in any (lass was awarded the prize. The mere award of the prize, however, was a minor point, because the

exhibits were kept in the museums as long as they were in a fit staie to be exhibited, and farmers might come in. look round, and, through the museum, be placed ill touch with growers of wheat or maize who produced seed which would suit their particular r quirements. Argentine appeared to be particularly free from stock diseases.