AN ARGENTINE VISITOR

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 6 December 1912, Page 3

AN ARGENTINE VISITOR

STOCK MATTERS DISCUSSED

j A visitor to Now Zealand just now , is Mr H. Blake, of the Argentine, who j lias made .several trips to this country, and lias taken some of the j)o- ---; minion's best sheep to South Amer- | ica. Mr Blake, who only arrived by I the lonic;, is accompanied by his wile, 'and intendy spending the next t-.io : months touring Now Zealand. During a brief conversation with a roprosentative of the Dominion, Mr Blake remarked that there was : ( good demand in the Argenti-io for real good stud stock, but the day h;icl passed when anything not above the average could find a market. As things stood the Lincoln and tbe Lin-coln-Merino cross were the popnlu' ."beep, but the Romney was com ins* into favour, especially in tlie dumper parts of the country. The if.si ten years had «een a good many of tlie Down breeds imported, thes; heing particularly, favoured by fanners in tho lamb trade. Asked if he thought there was anything in the contention of brooder. at this 'end that the bigb steam.*:freights on live stock was an obstacle in tlie way of building up an expor: trade in ~s t ud .stock from Now Zealfind, Mr Blake said he thought it would certainly he to the advantage of New Zealand .'breeders if the freights could be, reduced. There was always a demand in the Argentine for the best blood, ami if New Zealand breeders sent a few of their best animals over they would have no difficulty in disposing of them. Prvo would 1 not stand in the way of the e-s----taneiero, who wanted the "best The Argentine flocks and herds today, however, were so good that the only thing wanted was the very best stud stock. For anything else there was only a, limited demand, and under the present conditions of freight and expenses it would be useless to send anything but the very best. Referring particularly to bulls. Mr Blake said the best blood was in demand, although tho Argentioe h.-t! some of the finest beef blood in the world. The main strain -,<-ap the Shorthorn, but the Hereford and the Polled Angus were also much, favoured. These studs were assuming voiv ia-go pre portions, and the bills' eo-m----monly sold at from £SOO to £2OOO and this for animals bred' in the country With so many good herds in the country already there was no dema-id for anything but the highest quality from outside.

Referring to dairying, Mr ' .Wake remarked that it was undoubtedly on the up-grade. The exports to the' end of September totalled 5G.078 boxes, as against 45,971 boxes for the wltoh of last season. In the not very distant future the Argentine should, lie thought, bo a competitor to be reckoned with in the world's maikets. Mr Blako is of opinion that a very good trade could be opened up i'rnm Xew Zealand in both fruit nxd .seed potatoes.

-As a result of the cultivation of lucerne large tracts of what was. formerly considered waste sand );>»d in the Argentine has of late years been turned to good acount, 'but •peaking generally the style of agriculture as practised to-day was verv crude. Suitable labour wa.s difficult to obtain, and extensive cultivation was almost unknown.