New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-22
William Hope, Cattle King" of
Argentina, Says So and Sug-
gests Extension of This
Nations Trade.

Copyright 1911. by James 2. Morrow
y INTELLIGENT experienced. successful
" and open-minded man Of the world
L y BE- modestly and shrewdly studying
me people of the United States William
Hope is his name IT can be said, de-
scrintivev that he has been cattle-lord In
South America for more than thirty years;
also tia. he grew much wheat and raised
many sheep He is still in business, hav-
inr solid investments in Washington, Lon
don and Buenos Ayres.
The views of man who travelled the
earth and piled up money FOR himself in
ont Of the way places are worth something
10 everybody Mr. Hope owned 5000 acres
If LAM and had partners interest in
The profits Of another estancia. containing
rs o0l acres. managing both estates, living
IN saddle 4 good part of the time and
incidentally. lodging tigers and mountain
Hons and killing snakes fourteen feet long.
The householder will be interested in his
American discoveries; 50 will the farmer,
and especially 50 will tho farmers i'm
prisoned wife and escaping daughter.
What does it cost TO produce tat steer
" Argentina" ! asked him.
Upnn the value Of the land. and land varies
IN. price. 7 was I'm the country before beet
and mutton were sent abroad I'm refrigera-
tor ships I'm those days We dried our beei
snd sent IT. 10 Cuba and Brazil, where ii
vas consumed by negro slaves Roughly
speaking. a fat steer was worth an ounce
n gold. My brothers purchased land for
y cents an acre. So late as 1892 steers suit
able for jerked beef were sold as low as
2 Is apiece The land on which they grazec
was very cheap.
Since then such land as my brothers
owned has increased in value TO SIS an acre
Our Western rivers run eastward and van
ish underground, where they trickle unseen
10 the Atlantic Ocean The land above TINS
subteTanean flow we learned, would grow
great crops Of alfalfa, the long roots going
down until they reached water Thus We
were enabled to produce steers that COM
peted on even terms with native beef IN
the English markets. To-day such steers
weighing 800 pounds each on foot, are
bringing so. gold. in Buenos Ayres' bu'
they are pastured on land worth so an
acre. Again. there are steers fattened on
our natural grasses that are selling Tor only
80 70 would be impossible. therefore, 10
answer your question accurately unless one
should write a book on the subject
IN the production of wool mutton ana
beef Argentina has a very important al
vantage over the United States. our HVe-
stock Is never kept in pens, sheds or barns
J have seen snow but three times, and then
only in little air furres, during the forty
years I have resided In the country. nor
90 We need 70 feed grain. Our steers ana
sheep are fattened on grass. stocKmah
Ike myself requires only plough for MS
kitchen garden. ! have not cut any gram
ior more than quarter Of century.
In the United States range catue must
oe driven into the open country ana Ieu i"
While before they are ready for the Dutch-
e. With us the cost Of a steer ~ SIM
ply the interest on the land investment anu
the price Of herding. Moreover we 90 DUET
Less On a tremendous scale. Some OF ou'
ranches are municipalities, ranging in size
from a league. or 600 acres, 10 hfty
leagues, or 10000 acres. And each estan-
ciero owns his land in fee simple
On immense estates large returns are pos
Sbie even when the yearly profit amounts
70 but Il IS on each animal as ] know w
experience As a rule, however, we can
squeeze out about 81. Thus, on every Io'
mead Of cattle, made up Of twenty-five year
ungs. twenty-five two-year-olds, twenty
nNe three -year-olds, and twenty-five COVE
me annual profit ought TO be 800 1t taxes
=" COWS 20 produce ten marketable steers
mere are as many heifer calves as Dun
caves and the losses By death and accident
a't considerable Some OF our imported
l1Ils cost 5000 each. | have YlElted cattIe