that the animals lay in Montevideo for eighteen months or more, until they could be admitted here. A bull named Brave Archer was bought in Chicago for $240 United States money. He had been brought from Scotland about a year before, and though he was a 4-year-old, he sold in Buenos Aires last year for $6,800. Some recent importations of light-roan Shorthorns from Scotland sold at $1,400 to $2,500, it being the wrong time to offer them, and part of them were withdrawn for later sale. They were not extraordinary animals-some of them being very ordinary and the prices realized gave the importers a snug profit. In 1887 some Virginia breeders sent a large consignment of Shorthorns here, and they realized very handsome prices for them, the leading bull bringing $12,000. They enjoyed a good business, but the revolution in 1890 brought it to an end. HIGH PRICES FOR ORDINARY ANIMALS. The following recital of the disposition of a certain shipment of cattle is full of suggestion: The shipment consisted of 1 bull, born March 7, 1900, 14 heifers and cows from 2 to 24 years old, one of them a cow with a young calf, and one 8-months-old calf. Two of the heifers were ineligible for registry in the Argentine herdbook; one of these sold for $600 and the other was withdrawn. The heifer calf 8 months old was sold for $500. The bull was a rather good animal, a deep red, a little rough in shape and faulty in the head, and a trifle faulty in the hind quarters, but in excellent condition, strong, and well developed, and he sold for $3,500. The general comment among those present was that he was a very good bull for breeding steers, but not good enough for a sire of breeding animals. The heifers, with one or two exceptions, were very inferior. They were mostly roans, with two or three reds. They had suffered from long voyages and the unfavorable conditions at Las Palmas, where they spent eight months after having once been rejected at Buenos Aires because they arrived with footand-mouth disease. They were very "leggy," a fault quickly to be noticed in Argentina, and most of them were bad in other respects, particularly in the hind quarters. They were all bred to good bulls, and, being young and of good breeding, familiar to the bidders, and brought by a well-known importer, they brought astonishingly good prices. The lowest price was $1,000, the highest $2,000, and the average for 12 was $1,490. They were offered at a very bad season when very few care to buy. If they had been offered at the time of the September show, they would undoubtedly have brought considerably more. If these animals, which in this country would have been slow sale at $150 to $200 United States money, and might have gone for less, could be sold at an unfavorable time for such good prices, what would be realized for tiptop cows, such as could be sent from the United States? There is no doubt about there being a good business in taking such excellent animals there. The country is simply hungry for good breeding animals, especially Shorthorns, and cows will be particularly acceptable, because they are badly needed. FAT-STOCK AND HORSE SHOW. For several years the Rural Society has given a show in May for horses, fat cattle, and sheep. It is primarily a horse fair, as the sales are chiefly of horses. It is a combination of market and competition for prizes, and many animals are brought to the show to be sold, not being entered for prizes. This show was to be combined with the new agricultural fair this year (see p. 13). Interest centers in the competition among the Shorthorns for the championship, although for four years prior to 1902 the champion fat steers were Herefords. This is the more remarkable because of the comparatively small number of Herefords bred in the country. In the 1902 show there were twenty lots of 8 steers each competing in the Shorthorn class and only two lots of 8 each in the Hereford, Polled Angus, and Holstein classes. For the Hereford to win under these circumstances, with the great preponderance of opinion against him among the breeders, and hence among the judges, has been a source of much satisfaction to the champions of the breed. In the last show the championship was won by the Shorthorns, but the block test that was made after the award, after the animals were sold and slaughtered by one of the chilled-beef companies, was against the Shorthorns and in favor of the Herefords. The average weight of the 160 Shorthorns shown, aged about 42 months, was 780 kilos, or 1,719 pounds. They were sold at auction at prices ranging from $110 to $310 per animal, and were bought for export, as all good fat steers were then, by the frozen-meat and chilled-meat establishments. This is equivalent to $48.40 to $136.40 United States money. The average price was $187.75, or $82.61 United States money, or $4.80 per hundredweight live weight. These are extraordinary prices for prize animals, carefully prepared. The lowest weight was 1,531 pounds and the highest 2,008. The Herefords averaged in weight 1,815 pounds and sold for an average of $200, or $88 United States money. The Polled Angus, with an average weight of 1,318 pounds, sold for an average of $90. The Holsteins showed an average weight of 1,478 pounds and brought an average price of $97.50. The first-prize Shorthorns, the ones that won the championship of all breeds, weighed an average of 1,931 pounds, and one lot of 8 brought $310 each and the other $270. When slaughtered they dressed out 62.2 per cent of net beef. The second-prize Shorthorns, composed of three lots of 8 each, averaged in weight 1,885 pounds, and they sold for an average of $207. They dressed out 62.8 per cent of net beef. The third-prize group of Shorthorns were the heaviest, averaging 2,008 pounds, but the animals were marked off by the judges for excess of fat and for other reasons. They were sold privately for $310 each, the same price as the champions. No block test was made of these animals, which were exported alive to South Africa. The Herefords made a fine showing when slaughtered. The first prize lot weighed an average of 1,821 pounds and sold for $205 each. They dressed out 65.01 per cent of net beef. The second prize Herefords averaged 1,810 pounds and brought $195 apiece, giving 62.75 per cent of dressed beef. No block tests have been reported on the Polled Angus and Holsteins, but the former were not regarded as exceptionally good animals and no prize was awarded them. KIND OF CATTLE FOR EXPORT AND HOME CONSUMPTION. Prior to the opening of the British ports in February, 1903, the best grade Shorthorn steers and other steers that could grade with them were bought for export at $75 to $90 and occasionally a little more for very superior animals. When the English ports were again closed to Argentine live stock (May, 1903), the price for the best grass-fed steers of 3 to 34 years old, the usual selling age for export, was from $85 to $115. There was a good demand; in fact, more than the supply could meet and maintain its quality for export. Not 5 per cent of these steers had tasted grain, but the majority of them had been fattened on alfalfa and others on native grasses. This quick production and the ease with which such steers are sold has encroached a little more every year upon the reserve supply; that is, younger animals have been sold for export, fewer good steers are killed for home consumption, and more cows, heifers, and caly s, as well as inferior steers and oxen, are used to supply the home markets. Thus it is extremely difficult to get a good piece of beef in the city of Buenos Aires. None of the best fat steers-"export type," they are called are brought to Buenos Aires to be sold, or at least so rarely that the local markets are not looked to for any part of the supply. If a man has a lot of good steers ready for market, he notifies his broker in Buenos Aires, who notifies the buyers, the "frigorificos," and the exporters of live cattle, and the latter send their representatives to inspect the cattle. Then the buyers make bids, either through the inspe tors on the spot or through the brokers in the city. Some estancieros get along without brokers and do business directly with the buyers. The prices quoted are for the animals on the estancia, and it costs from $8 to $10 each to bring them to Buenos Aires. The top price of $115 is but rarely paid. The usual price for the best animals is from $100 to $110, and still more are sold to the frigorificos at $85 to $100. Now that the English ports are closed again, there is a decline of perhaps 10 or 15 per cent in the prices of the best steers. These animals range in weight from 1,225 to 1,425 pounds, giving a weight of 700 to 800 pounds of net beef, exclusive of head, feet, kidneys, liver, and other fat and offal. The marketable by-products there are limited and there is much more waste than in the great packing houses in the United States. The freezing works prefer steers of greater age because of their greater weight, but there is scarcely a good steer in the country that is 5 years old that could have been sold younger. Very few are kept beyond 4 years; selling at 3 years or younger is happening oftener, and is the general rule. Formerly the selling age was 4 years. Alfalfa has had more to do with getting the animals on the market a year younger than any other one cause. Cattle for the export trade are shipped to Buenos Aires, 450 to 750 miles, but the cheaper grades are driven at least a good part of the distance, as they will not stand the freight charges, and it is much cheaper to drive them to market. The public roads in Argentina are very wide on this account. ARGENTINE STEERS ARE GRASS OR ALFALFA FED. The prices Corn-fed animals are very rarely, almost never, seen. paid for steers by the frigorificos, which, until a few months ago, furnished, and again at the present time do furnish, almost the only market for good steers, did not warrant any corn feeding. A few years ago, before the English ports were closed to Argentine live cattle, so-called corn-fed steers brought $5 to $10 per head more than those that had not received any grain. But these were not really cornfed, for they had received corn and dry hay for a month or so only before being brought to market, and this in order to teach them to eat it on the voyage. They had their accustomed alfalfa or grass pasture during the day and the corn and other dry feed at night. This system may be resumed this winter if the price of corn is lower than it is At present producers of fat steers say it would not pay. Corn is now selling for about 35 to 40 cents United States money per American bushel of 56 pounds. It is claimed by many Argentine breeders and feeders that the alfalfa and grass-fed beef is as good as corn-fed beef, but the best-informed ones those who know the difference and have seen both kinds-realize that the Argentine, who would get the best price for his steers in competition with those from the United States, must finish them on corn, and this course is being advocated by many who predict that this must soon come. It is likely to be a long time, however, before any considerable amount of corn-fed Argentine beef will find its way abroad. It will require some strong object lessons to convince the great mass of producers, because they are doing very well at present; and until they see Argentine corn-fed steers now. |