The Washington herald., 1914-06-01
The Beef Hope Of the World.
ny JosEPH EDGAR cHAMBEnLIN.

NJ JOsEPH EDGAR CHAMBEnLIN.
Americans generally are settling down to the
knowledge that the United States will not long con-
time to be beef-raising country on large scale
The circumstances which contribute to the pros
perity of the United States tend to restrict the pro
duction of beef cattle. MIL, butter and cheese as
staples are antagonstic to the production of beef
as staple certain amount of beef of q rather
poor quality is by-product only of the dairy busi-
ness. Generally speaking good milk and butter cat
tie are not good beef cattle.
The system of farming which is economic re-
lated to milk. butter and cheese is uneconomc as
related to beef. To maintain dairy farming as a
profitable business requires intensive cultivation; and
intensive cultivation is inconsistent with extensive
pasturage and cheap beef
Even where intensive cultivation and general farm
ing cannot be practced, on the unirrgabe lands of
the arid West we have reached the end of our rope
in the matter of grazing because the natural pastur-
age is exhausted Beef cattle may still be protaby
raised on fenced and improved pastures in the arid
States, but not in any such quantities such cat
tie were produced when the ranches were new.
While mich cows greatly increase in numbers, beef
cattle have actually been diminishing in numbers in
this country, and greatly diminishing in their propor-
ton to the population.
Probably this decrease will continue.
What does this portend? That Americans, as
Europeans have done, will have to give up eating
beef except luxury?
Perhaps so; but recent series of reports by con-
suls of the United States in South America, made to
the bureau of foreign and domestic commerce of the
Department OF Commerce, to show that If South
America could have peace and security, that continent
could raise beef enough not only for Americas con-
sumption, but for all the world.
Millions upon millions of acres suitable for cattle
grazing exist in South America which are not used
for the purpose at all Take for instance, the case
of Chile Consul Winston of Valparaiso, shows that
cattle production is actually declining in that
try. In the south of Chile there are some of the
finest grass regions in the world; the territory OF
Magallanes contains I2ooSo acres of good pasturage
land where the climatic conditions would be highly
favorable the health of cattle if they had winter
shelter But there but $1,000 head of cattle in
the whole territory.
For in Chile no one thinks of giving his cattle
winter shelter even in the cold south, does any
one think of guarding them from contagion. Thirty
per of the cattle of Chile die of contagious dis
eases. So far meeting the beef requirements of
the world is concerned Chile is simply going to waste
Very much the same may be said with regard to
Argentina; for although the Argentine republic is
now one of greatest of beef supply, that
beef is raised in comparatively restricted area
mostly in the north of Buenos Aires province
The undeveloped territories of Argentina, comprs-
ing an of 4ooSSo square miles. almost with
out any cattle at all All alone, if developed under
proper methods, they could feed the United States
with beef.
Nearer and better for this purpose than either
Argentina or Chile, is Colombia Easily accessible
to the United States, Colombia has cheap and
unused grazing land than any other country in the
world. The vast valleys of the rivers flowing into
the Caribbean Sea and the Amazon basin; the great
llanos of the northern coastal region-between the
ranges and the covered with grass.
In the lowlands the grass is green and rich all the
year round, and though the higher lands are often
dry in January, February and March. they not so
dry as our Western plains, where the cattle browse
the dried grass. Vast stretches of this region Consul
Starrett of Cartagena tells u.s. have not been devel
oped for any extent whatsoever, and only in small
spots is this country used for grazing.
Colombia alone could fed with beef for many
years. The rivers will bring down the cattle to the
sea-though railways would, of course extend the
region of cheap beef production Now there is not
packing or refrigerating house in all Colombia
There is great chance for statesman-econornist
in the utilization of South America for beef produc-
ton for the multiplying millions of the United States.