The farmer and mechanic., 1915-03-16

as our cattle are fed upon straw. In
this way a large number or head can
be cared for by very few men, and
the cost Of stock farming is reduced
to the minimum. AS it is now tn.
best lands are fenced with wire, ana
the cattle feed in these great fields
without need of barns or sheds. The
winters are 50 mild that there is
plenty of grass all the year around.
The value Of alfalfa in the making
of beef has grown upon the Argen-
tinos, and the alfalfa area is increas-
ing enormously. AS soon as the land
is in alfalfa it jumps in value. Steers
raised on that grass can be marketed
a year younger than if grown on the
native grasses, and the use of alfalfa
doubles the carrying capacity Of the
estanica. In southern Cordoba and
Santa Fe three thousand cattle are
,ow being fed all the year round to
every square Ieaoue Of alfalfa. This
means about one head to every two
acres, and it is said that another
thousand head could be added if all
were breeding cattle. Finely bred
stock does not thrive on the native
| grasses, and there are many millions
OF acres in Argentina that will have
to be put into alfalfa in order to have
| it yield its full value. Lands which
have been carrying three thousand
| sheep to the league-that is, one
| sheep to two acreS-are now carrying
double as many. 1t is estimated that
one animal feeding on the native
grasses requires as much as eight
acres. and it will be thus seen that
alfalfa makes the land seven or eight
times as valuable. Moreover, the al
alfalfa keeps on producing year after
year, and it yields hay for fattening &
or piecing out the other crops in case
OF a drought. Alfalfa grown for hay,
vices 100 per cent profit. 1t is easy
to raise and it enricheS the land each
ton of hay containing fifty pounds Of
nitrogen. When grown for dry fod-
, der 1t gives three or four crops a
year, and yields seven or eight tons
of hay to the acre. A ton Of such hay
, is worth $40. and the land is better
after the crop is taken off than it was
i before it was planted. The alfalfa
farmers are the best stock farmers
g and nearly all who have gone into the
1 business have made money. Much O.
/ the wheat land after being used fol
/ a short time is now turned to alfalfa
0 and its upon this crop that depend
e the great meat supply Of the future
In connection with our meat short
age in the United States I find in tn
;, last issue Of the River Plate Review
J the chief stock and financial paper O
:, Argentina, quotation from one of tn
= chief meat authorities of Australia a
. to the causes of our failing beef sup
~ ply. This man is Mr. A. w Pearse
- the editor of the Australian Nea
Trades Journal He says:
.s The shortage Of meat in the Unite
States comes from the breaking I'D {
the big ranches and the increase ,
,e grain farming and dairying. It is ais
As caused by the demand for veal. l
e one year the United States killed 8
3. ooo'oOO calves, averaging sevent
,e pounds each. If those calves ha
W been kept a year longer they wou1
es ave averaged 500 pounds and wou]
nave given them 4,6O0, 600 900 pound
i'll OF beef, instead of $50, 900 900 pound
Id OF veal. Another cause of the fallir
n off is the stock diseases. and a thir
Of is the enormous waste OF meat in II
e. States AT the hotels and restauran
ne mere the guest is served twice
no much as is required and the resi-,
ed OF the whole is that the meat demaT
el is becoming greater than the supply
Isl Mr.. PearSe was asked as to the Ian,
O. owned by the UnitedStates capitals
IN N South America, and as to our i
20. terestS in the meat-freezing esta bliS
ne ments. He said that the coming
lo OF the SWifts and the Armours wou
II greatly benefit Argentina, and tn
, nc they had already raised the prices
~ Nv cattle. He said that Americans a
n buying the pasture lands, apd tn
~, one Chiacgo firm has already TAX
da over 2O.0OO,000 acres in Paragua
a and they are considering the purcha
he OF 12.OOO.000 more. Mr. Pearse a
an vised the Australians to prohibit t
ed killing of female calves and to refu
in. to ship veal to the United States
be -----
ed lind q great deal OF jealousy
.ep Buenos Aires regarding the adyanf
The our American firms are making in t
,ne packing house business. Four or f
be- years ago all the killing freezing. a
ere Nioning was in the hands of the !
md gentinos and the British. Now
lad bulk of the Shipments are sent ,
IS. by the American frigeri1icos. and tt
are steadily increasing in capacj
al Within the past year the Armo1