The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-08-25


The broad plains of Mexico and Central
America of Venezuela and Colombia, the ANA
zon region of Brazil Bolivia Peru and Ecua-
dor rival, if they do not excel the famed pam
pas of Argentine and Uruguay cheap meat
producing districts.
In the country Of the Oronoco alone, Vene-
zuela and eastern Colombia. there is an area
of territory more than equal to France. Ger
many the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark,
or ten times the size of the state Of New York,
which has its superior as a cattle country in
no part of the world if indeed it has anywhere
its 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 Cattlemen own the
land in large tracts of from 100000 to 100000
acres acquired from the government by grant
and at a 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 Topic are similar in
character to the northern ranges but not so
well watered, and the grass is scantier.
On the gulf side there are entirely differ
ent conditions. On the slope of the eastern
Cordieras in the states of San Luis Pot"si
Tamaulipas and northern Vera Cruz is the re-
gion known IS the Huasteca Potosina the
country of the Tamesi, PanuCo, Temporal and
Tamasunchale rivers This IS an almost ideal
grass country 1t is a succession of valleys
increasing in height from the low plains near
the coast to the borders of the central plateau
5000 feet This slope receives the moist
breezes from the Gulf Of Mexico in the form
of rain during the summer months and dew
in winter and is always free from frost
drought and excessive heat The natural pas
turage of this country is as fine as any in the
world, except the OronocO and in the up
per Amazon country. Cattle in good condition
can be sent to market at a cost Of less than
$40 gold a head. On the northern and west
ern ranges lean cattle cost to produce from
81 to s. a head and can be fattened for mar
ket to cost in all about $40 a head
I ne latest Mexican statistics show about
525OOOO beef cattle in the whole country, of
an estimated value Of about So gold per head
Chihuahua and Vera Cruz lead with about
100000 head for each state AS compared
with Argentina with its 30,O0OO0O beef cattle
It can be seen that Mexico is but at the begin
ming of the industry; in fact as present the
country produces but little meat above its own
needs, yet it could, natural pasture alone
carry twice the number of cattle now grazing
in Argentina, and could easily supply to the
European markets from its surplus an amount
of meat twice what the United States has
even been able to supply from its surplus.
South of Mexico in Central America and
in parts of Mexico not above mentioned there
is yet another cattle country, where the eli
mate is more tropical On the Pacific side the
area suitable for cattle, IS limited. 1t is SINH
lar to the Pacific slope of Mexico but the
country is more thicky settled a larger pro-
portion of the land is devoted to agriculture