that could raise money enough to buy a flock of sheep went into the business, and in 1867 the number of sheep was estimated to be 40,072,312. In 1877 it had reached 48,498,688 and in 1888 it was 66,701,097, according to the official estimates. The great seat of the wool industry is the province of Buenos Ayres, the rich, succulent, grasses of whose boundless pampas afford natural pasturage to the foot of the Andes; but the other provinces have all a few sheep. The following table shows the number of sheep in each province and territory: There are no inconsiderable numbers of sheep, also, in the territories of Chuput, Santa Cruz, and Neuquen, but they were not included in the last census of 1887. There also 47,738 llamas in the province of Jujuy employed as beasts of burden, while the number of guanacos, vacuñas, and alpacas, as they roam wild over the far pampas and mountain slopes, can not even be estimated. It appears from the foregoing returns that in the province of Buenos Ayres there are 171 sheep per square kilometer and in the entire Republic 22 per square kilometer. The average weight of ewes is 20 to 25 kilograms and of rams and wethers 30 to 35 kilograms. Tho number of sheep in the Argentine Republic is equal to 17,787 per 1,000 inhabitants. VALUE OF SHEEP.-The value of the sheep in the Argentine Republic is thus stated by Sr. Carrasco, director of the census: Native sheep Pure blood $36,067, 750 6, 319, 870 Total...... 147, 233, 702 CONDITION OF THE INDUSTRY.—It would seem from the foregoing figures that the sheep industry of this country is not quite so flourishing as it was a few years ago. Relatively, since the agricultural resources began their development, it is not so important as it has been; but it is not possible to say if there has been any retrograde, as the returns of sheep are only based on estimates and calculations, and every person who undertakes to publish statistics makes use of such figures as he may have at hand. Thus, Mr. Mulhall, in his Handbook of the River Plate, estimated the number of sheep in 1884 at 70,896,000; while the President, in his last message in 1888, four years later, put the number at 70,453,665; and now Sr. Carrasco places the number at 66,701,097, nearly 4,000,000 less. While the industry may not actually be on the decline, there are several reasons which would indicate that there is a temporary decrease in the actual number. In the first place, the losses from floods, foot rot, and starvation for the last two or three years are estimated by many millions; and, in the second place, there is now a steady market in Europe for mutton carcasses. But even so the Argentine Republic has a larger number of sheep than any other country in the world, Australia following with 58,052,180 and the United States with 48,322,331. Sr. Carrasco puts the value of the flocks at $144,233,702, while Mr. Mulhall estimates it at only $136,000,000, about $10,000,000 less; and he distributes the industry among the different nationalities as follows: Argentines, $73,000,000; Irish, $30,000,000; Scotch, $7,000,000; Basques, $20,000,000; total, $136,000,000. WOOL CLIP COMPARED WITH OTHER COUNTRIES.-The wool clip of the country bears a very small proportion to the number of sheep. This is seen from the estimate of the world's clip for 1886: From this it will be seen that the yield is 3.8 pounds of "dirty," or unwashed, wool; and, by being always thus shipped in the grease, River Plate wool suffers more from shrinkage than either Australia or Cape Town, as the net results are as follows: I have heretofore called the attention of the Department to this fact, and stated that, as a wool-producing country, "these figures, according to our census of 1880, place the Argentine Republic really below the United States in clean yield." VALUE OF ANNUAL YIELD.-In regard to the value of the wool clip, including fleeces and sheepskins, I have no way of reaching it except by taking the tables of exports. The following are the figures of the last ten years: It is necessary to state that the values for the last four years are stated in paper currency, which now is only worth about 40 cents to the dollar. TO WHAT COUNTRIES EXPORTED.—The countries to which the wool clip of 1889 was exported will appear from the following table: The wool included in the foregoing returns was all fine clothing varieties except that which was shipped to the United States. The latter was carpet wool, raised from "criolla" sheep in the upper provinces and shipped from the port of Rosario to Boston. In 1890 Mr. B. Lorenzo Hill presented certain estimates on the wool interests of Uruguay to U. S. Consul Hill at Montevideo. The number of sheep in October, 1889, was estimated at 12,000,000, or 30 per cent less than 1888. The wool clip was estimated at 42,000,000 pounds, of the qualities of Merino and English, and their cross called Mestizo. The value of the clip was 17 cents a pound on the average. It was exported to France, Germany, England, and a small quantity to the United States. The average yield of wool per sheep is about 34 pounds. The percentage of dirt and grease in wool is from 25 to 30 per cent. The grade of wool has been improving very considerably the last few years. Foreign sheep are being introduced, not extensively, but steadily. The wool inclines to Merino, English, or Lincoln, and the Downs, and their cross. |