THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EXPORT TRADE IN PUREBRED LIVE

STOCK."

By GEORGE M. ROMMEL,

Animal Husbandman, Bureau of Animal Industry.

The exportation from the United States of meat-bearing animals and horses for city business, farm purposes, and pleasure has for many years been an important factor in our foreign trade. The accepted value of such animals in the world's markets, together with the rapid improvement of breeding animals in the United States, and the belief of many in the wisdom of providing an opening for the disposal of surplus American breeding stock has led to efforts on the part of individual breeders, breeders' associations, and the Federal Government to study the possibilities of developing a trade in breeding stock with foreign lands. In the palmy days of the American Merino sheep the demand from Australia and other countries was a very large factor in the trade, and even now the purchaser of rams of the various Merino types must meet the competition of foreign buyers. Whether this trade can be built up again on a considerable scale and whether it can be developed for all classes of American live stock is a question in which there is a growing interest.

PRESENT EXTENT OF THE TRADE.

At the present time the export trade in breeding animals is very small. Just how many animals are sent abroad annually for breeding is not known, because customs officers are not required to report such export movements, and breeders' associations almost without exception do not keep such records. We can gain a fairly definite idea, however, from the figures for the exports of animals to countries in South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, as it is known that with the possible exception of countries to the north of South America-as Canada, Mexico, the Central American States, and Cuba-exports of animals to these sections of the world for other purposes than breeding are insignificant. Considerable numbers of breeding animals go each year to the countries just named, but very much larger numbers are sold to them for other purposes. The fol

This paper was presented at a meeting of the Missouri State Board of Agriculture at Columbia, Mo., January 7, 1908.

lowing table is, therefore, made up from the reports of Trade and Navigation of the Department of Commerce and Labor, showing for the ten fiscal years from 1897 to 1906 the total exports of cattle, hogs, horses, and sheep to the countries above mentioned. With the exceptions noted in the footnotes to the table, it may be assumed that these figures show approximately our foreign trade in purebred live stock. A detailed table showing total exports of live stock to all countries for the period named appears in another part of this volume (p. 386).

Exports of cattle, hogs, horses, and sheep from the United States to South America, Asia, Oceania, and Africa, years ended June 30, 1897-1906.

The exports of horses for the years 1900 to 1902, inclusive, were greatly enlarged on account of the purchases of the British army for use in South Africa. South Africa for these three years are given as follows:

Exports to British

The exports of cattle for the years 1903 and 1904 were swelled by exports to British South Africa of 7,029 head and 4,983 head, respectively. These were probably cattle taken to that country to restock after the Anglo-Boer war, and, while intended for breeding purposes, were not purebred, as may be seen by noting the values for the years mentioned.

Comparing the figures in the foregoing table with those for all animal exports, it is apparent that of the live animals going abroad the vast majority are destined for slaughter soon after landing or accompany emigrants. Nearly all European countries prohibit the importation of ruminant animals and hogs except for immediate slaughter, and the only animals which go to those countries under other conditions are horses and perhaps a few pets and poultry. Of the horses, nearly all are used for pleasure or business and few for breeding; however, a sufficient number of American trotters have gone to Europe to give the breed an excellent reputation. Of the large numbers of horses which go to British North America each year, few are pedigreed stock to be used for breeding; most of them accompany American farmers who are emigrating to the Canadian Northwest.

COUNTRIES OFFERING BEST OPPORTUNITIES.

The countries of the world whose markets appear to offer the greatest opportunities for the development of an American export trade in breeding stock are those of Europe for trotting horses; Canada for trotting and draft horses; Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and South America for cattle, hogs, horses, and sheep; China and Japan for horses, cattle, and hogs; and South Africa and Australia for sheep. From the standpoint of location the parts of the world to which American breeders should logically look for the disposition of their surplus are the countries of the Western Hemisphere, south of the United States. In those countries there is a growing demand for improved blood, and stockmen are ready to spend money freely for animals of the right sort to improve their stock. In considering the subject, therefore, we can afford to devote our time almost exclusively to conditions and possibilities as they obtain there.

OBSTACLES IN THE WAY OF FOREIGN TRADE.

INADEQUATE MEANS OF COMMUNICATION.

The greatest drawback to the development of trade with countries south of us, especially those in South America, is the absence of good means of communication. There are few steamship lines running direct from New York or other ports of the United States to the great South American ports like Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires; one might almost say there are no good ones. It is said that if a person wishes to get to either of those cities in the shortest possible time it is best to go first to England by a fast trans-Atlantic boat and transship there to South America. Naturally the same is true of fast mail transportation. It is also said that in eastern South America banks sell exchange to the United States not direct on New York but via London. Therefore, if a South American buyer, when dealing with the United States, must have his animals shipped on slow boats with inferior accommodations, and must pay for them by exchange on London, it is more than probable that he will discriminate against American animals as long as such conditions exist. At best, crossing the equator is a trying ordeal for live stock and one which should be made as short as possible. Likewise it is more convenient to buy exchange direct than in a roundabout way. Trade conditions are, therefore, decidedly against the American breeder.

This state of affairs is one which has received a great deal of attention lately, as it is the principal drawback to United States trade of every kind with South American countries. Theoretically and sentimentally, the countries of South America should be good customers of

ours; actually, they are not by any means. It is doubtful, however, whether our relations with those countries were ever so close as they are to-day, and it is quite likely that the near future will see an improvement in business relations with that part of the world. When fast steamer routes are opened stockmen will have at their command. more rapid and better means of shipment and one very serious obstacle to this trade will then be removed. With the increase of business of all kinds with South America more convenient methods of exchanging money and credit will naturally follow.

DISEASE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

The presence of disease in foreign countries is a second obstacle to the development of an export trade. Healthy but nonimmune American animals coming into contact with infected ones after landing are liable to sicken and die, and no matter what the cause, the American animal will get the reputation of being unable to stand the climate. This is particularly to be guarded against in the export of cattle to countries in which Texas fever exists. This disease is perhaps the one most to be feared by the exporter, but fortunately our knowledge of it is now such that it is possible so to handle shipments that the danger of loss is reduced to a minimum. No cattle should be shipped to the West Indies, Mexico, Central America, South America, Australia, Africa, or other countries bordering on the Tropics, except to those sections which are known to be free from Texas fever, without having been first rendered immune by some form of inoculation. Texas fever is also found in southern France, Italy, Turkey, along the Danube River, in Roumania, Ireland, Finland, southern Russia, China, and Japan. Immunity may be brought about either by direct blood inoculation or by inoculation of young animals by the infected cattle tick itself. For more complete safety, shipments from herds south of the Texas-fever quarantine line would probably be most satisfactory.

It should also be borne in mind that many other diseases even more dangerous than Texas fever exist in some foreign countries, and losses are likely to follow American exportations. The prevalence of disease in these countries can readily be ascertained by the prospective American exporter by reference to the annual reports of the Bureau of Animal Industry. (See pages 410-417 of the present volume.) Where diseases such as surra are prevalent no cattle or horses should be sent except with an understanding with the buyer that the animals, although healthy when exported, are at the buyer's risk after landing. No horseman, for example, should be so unwise as to guarantee that his horses will live in South Africa, a country where diseases pecu

a See Bulletin 78, Bureau of Animal Industry.