The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1915-10-09

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has been monopolized by British
breeders heretofore. Already some
OF the Argentine estancieros, as the
owners of great ranches are called,
have taken interest in the possibili-
ties of the new conditions, and as a
pioneer in the trade Senior Celendio
Pereda, one of the most prominent
of the Argentine ~ranchmen, has gone
to the United States to select bulls
and other blooded stock for his vast
estate.
In view of the phenomenal advance
in the price for live stock in the Ar
gentine and the probability that they
may reach still greater heights, par
ticularly if the European war con-
tinues, it is assumed that the estan-
cieros who seek cattle in the United
States will be prepared to pay well
for choice stock.
The cattle show at Palermo, which
is an annual fixture and which is
considered an economic barometer
of prosperity in the republic has just
closed with results that are far more
encouraging than could have been
expected. 1t made plain the fact that
in whatever other ways the country
might be suffering depression, it's
basic industry-cattle grazing =
prospers as never before.
The Argentine has suffered trade
disturbance as a result of the war,
and during the past two years the
country has been passing through
what is called here a "crisis Of prog
ress' the result of lavish expendi
ture of borrowed capital in national
and provincial public works. But in
the face of these adverse conditions
there is the outstanding significant
fact that a single champion Durham
bull, for instance, has just sold at
auction for 100000 paper (the Ar
g~entine paper dollar being equiva-
lent to about AZ cents in gold).
The average prices at the Palermo
show established many records. The
favorite breed in the Argentine is
now the Durham s%horthorn of which
200 bulls. making up the first lot
nut ND at auction, brought a total of
$1,14O, 900 paper, or an average OF
$500 a head (about $2515 Aemri-
can gold And this does not include
a six per cent commission which in
this country is paid by the pur-
chaser.
The Hereford has, it appears, de
clined in favor, the champion bull of
that breed being sold for $4,000
paper-only a fifth of the price paid
for the champion Durham.
The rolled Angus, which was
deemed the coming breed a few years
age, was in such little favor at Pal
ermo that it was difficult to find a
bidder. The champion of this class
went for only $4,000 paper. The
Angus steer, however, is in great
demand among the establishments
that pack frozen beef. Only recent
" prices in the ordinary cattle mar
kets went as high as $500 paper for
this type of steer-probably a world
record.
One outcome of the flourishing
state of the grazing industry nay
be improvement in the Argentine
ranches. With the exception of a
few localities, grazing is carried on
under primitive conditions, with lit
tie application of science and expert
knowledge.
Argentine is an ideal grazing
country, but the natural pasture, ex-
cept in privileged zones, is very
scrubby. Owing to these visible dis
advantages lands were sold by the
league in the old times, the price be-
ing based upon the quantity of stock
hat could be carried. There are
vast extensions, hundreds of thou
sands of leagues. that are still OBJ
tainable at prairie value. The poor
settler can do nothing with these
lands. He would starve on a league
cf it if he had not a gun to shoot
birds. But the rich syndicate or pri-
vate investor could, and many do,
buy with ID view to improvement.
When this is done judiciously the
results are surprising.
r In this country stock is ncver
t housed. Some animals preparing 10,
, the show are raised in special pad
: docks. but the animals raised fol
+ the butcher rarely see the inside OF
. a building or taste anything but
!, pasture grass. The Out-of-door life
, saves expense and doubtless avoids
, some of the cattle diseases. The set
tier who purchased land forty years
ago at prairie value and put it under
alfalfa is the wealthy e~stanciero OF
: today. Some of the big ~estancias
, have been handed down from father
!, to son, but Argentine law governing
!, succession is altogether contrary tc
: the maintenance of hereditary in
2 terest, for when the owner dies there
I is generally a division of all his es-
tate among his heirs.
, The great enemy of grazing and
!, apricultura ic drought and at nreS.