The Donaldsonville chief., 1910-08-13


The broad plains of Mexico and Central
America, OF Venezuela and Colombia, the ANA
Eon region OF Brazil Bolivia, Peru and Ecua-
dor rival, il they do not excel the famed pam
pas Of Argentine and Uruguay as cheap meat
producing districts.
In the country OF the Oronoco alone. Vene-
xuela and eastern Colombia. there Is an area
of territory more thar equal to France. Ger
many, TIE NetherIr as, Belgium and Denmark,
or ten times the sf2a OF the state OF New York.
which has its superior as cattle country IN
no part OF the world. If indeed It has anywhere
It's equal.
Mexico offers many advantages to the stock
raiser. The conditions there are those with
which stockmen from the United States are
more or less familiar, which last fact, in part,
accounts for the large investments of Ameri-
can capital made In this industry within the
last few years In Mexico. CattIemen own the
land in large tracts of from 100000 to 100000
acres, acquired from the government by grant
and at very low figure. This prevents the
shutting off from water which has done SO
much to destroy the range industry in the
United States The winters are mild and there
is no danger of loss from blizzards-in fact,
the grazing is good all the year round
The character of the ranges on the Pacific
coast side in Jalisco Michoacan, Guerrero,
southern Oaxaca and Tepie are similar in
character to the northern ranges but not so
gell watered. and the grass is scantier.
On the gulf side there are entirely differ
Gnt conditions. On the slope of the eastern
Cordilleras in the states of San Luis Potosi,
Tamaulipas and northern Vera Cruz is the re-
gfon known ts the Huasteca Potosina, the
country of the Tamesi. Panuco, Temporal and
Tamasuncha1e rivers. This is an almost ideal
IT ia a succession Of Val1pvG
ebearated by grass-covered terraces or hills
sncrhesing In height from the low plains near
She coaaeoto the borders of the central plateau
5000 feeer This slope receives the moist
breezes from The Gulf of Mexico in the form
of rain during >ee summer months and dew
sn winter, and Il ~'ways free from frost,
drought and excessAse heat. The natural pas
surage of this country Is as fine as any in the
world. except on the Oronoco and in the up
per Amazon country. Cattle in good condition
Gan be sent to market at cost of less than
$40 gold head On the northern and west
Grr ranges lean cattle cost to produce from
So to SIS a head and can be fattened for mar
3ies to cost in all about $40 head.
The latest Mexican statistics show about
5.250000 beef cattle in the whole country, of
an estimated value of about SIS gold per head
Chihuahua and Vera Cruz lead with about
100000 head for each state. AS compared
with Argentina with it's 30,0o0,000 beef cattle
It can be seen that Mexico is but at the begin
hing of the industry; in fact, as present the
country produces but little meat above it's own
needs, get It could. on natural pasture alone.
carry twice the number of cattle now grazing
n Argentina, and could easily supply to the
European markets from its surplus an amount
II meat twice what the United States has
sven been able to supply from its surplus
South Of Mexico in Central America and
n parts of Mexico not above mentioned there
S yet another cattle country, where the eli
nate is more tropical On the Pacific side the
rea suitable for cattle Is limited It is SINH
ar to the Pacific slope of Mexico, but the
ountry is more thickly settled, a larger pro-
ortion Of the land is devoted to agriculture,