The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-12-17
The s0UTRs OPPORTUNITY.

Argentina 0utstripping the West
in Beef Exports.
To the Editor Of The News and Couri-
er:
A we'll known maxim that all farm
ers should observe in conducting their
farms is to make what they eat, and
sell their surplus crops.
Recently reading an article in the
farmers Voice, an agricultural paper
published in Chicago, the home Of the
beef and pork packers / was struck
with the increase in the raising of
beef cattle and its cheapness in Argen-
tina.
Beeves weighiong l,500 pounds bring
S72.T5 in Chicago, while equally as
heavy and as good beeves sell for $50
in the slaughter yards at Buenos Ayres.
The Argentine cattle are raised entire
~ on grass, never fed on pound OF
grain.
Another advantage Argentina has
over our Western beef producing Sec
ton is in her pasturage, that, unlike
the buffalo grass, is never killed by
pasturing or ploughing, the same as
our Bermuda grass. Buffalo grass
once killed never returns.
Some of the Southern States might
take up stock raising with hope of
meeting Argentine prices, but not in
the North could it be done.''
The writer believes, with our inn
mense field of Bermuda grass, which
will supply grazing for nine months in
the year and with three months of
feeding on cotton seed hulls and meal,
we can compete with Argentina in the
production of good and cheap beef.
The West and Northwest, with nine
months Of cold, can never compete
with a tropical or sub-tropical co1n-
try in the production Of cattle. We
have suitable country and the
necessary cheap food in the Southern
States for cattle raising, but we will
never compete with the Argentine,
with the worthless labor we have, in
the beef markets of the world. If we
are to succeed (which we CAM we
must have herdsmen that are endow-
ed with intelligence and free from the
negro trait Of neglect and brutality, for
il modern competition success depends
upon the highest intelligence operated
bycommon sense, of which the negro
is incapable We are seeing King
Cotton dethroned in the South 'by the
more intelligent labor Of other sections
of the world and if the South is to
maintain her prestige and to increase
her exporting product she will have to
look to the increase Of her intelligent
population, and that can only be done
By the gradual expectation of the ne
gro and the eimperbation Of white labor.
Ste In the South is inn
possibility with the present labor, as
they VIII -neis isi1e1 f5els water stock,
but will brutally beat all animals
wtlever they get in their way.
enclose you the clipping from the
Farmers Voice, of Chicago, which l
hope you Will publish in full. We
have Gods country, but we have the
DEVILS labor. James Barrett.
Augusta, Ca, December !.
A WESTERN PAPERS WARNING.
From the Farmers Voice and Nation
al Rural.
B. W. Snow, the statistician, has an
article in the Chicago Tribune Of
Monday which will not fail to chal-
lenge the thoughtful attention OF live
stock men everywhere. Some of the
salient points are quoted herewith, but
the article deserves careful reading
in its entirety. Mr.. Snow declares
that: "There is cloud on the horizon
of our foreign trade already large
enough to be threatening. x
Argentine competition is the new
condition to be met in the world S
meat trade.o He proceeds to show
that, while ia 1898 the United States
shipped 274, 76y 074 pounds of beef to
Europe, to thss Argentines II, ,375, COO
| pounds, in 1902, when our own ex-
| ports had increased only to 3O1, S24,
473 pounds, the Argentine had in
creased its beef exports to 151, 375, OOC
pounds and adds: These figures show
that, while in 1898 Europe took nearly
twenty-five pounds of our beef for one
of Argentine, for the present year the
ratio is only two to one, and in elgh-
teen months more, should the increas-
ed ratio for the last three years be
| maintained, this country will be
! crowded into second rank in fresh beef
expectation.
No WINTER IN ARGENTINA.
"In natural advantages for stock
raising Argentina has advantages over
the United States. Perhaps the chief
one is that there is practically no win.
ter. Snow is unknown and no prepar-
alton is necessary for winter feeding.
There being little cold weather and
no snow, all food consumed goes te
build up muscle and fat. On the Other
hand, the summers average little, il
any, warmer than ours, so cattle grow
and fatten without care each month o.
the year. In nutritious quality theil
grasses are no better than our buffalo
grass, but they grow more luxuriant
and have one great advantage. Ii oul
buffalo grass is killed out by over-pas.
| tnrino or by the plouoh it is gone fol