ARGENTINE WOOL PRODUCTION.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 9989, 19 March 1898, Page 7

ARGENTINE WOOL PRODUCTION.

Tbe United States Minister at Bueno3 Ayres has prepared an elaborate report on the wool production of the Argentine. He believes that the productionof wool there has reached its highest because of the increasing exportation of sheep to Europe, the attention being given to the rearing of cattle for export and the consequent neglect of sheep, and the probable decrease of grazing ground m "he central and northern parts of the Republic by the settlement of immigrants there and an increased devotion of the land to agricultural as apart from grazing purposes. In 1877 the export of wool from the Argentine was 97,310; tons; in 1887, 109,164 tons; in 1892, * 154,635 tons; and last year about 186,000. The largest export in any one year was in 1895, when it amounted to 251,353 tons. Daring the last ten years the character of the Argentine flocks have been changing. At first a very small proportion of the wool was from the " cross Lincoln" breed of sheep, whereas now this forma more than 65 per cent, of the whole. The change is due to the increased demand for large sheep for

export. During tbe last three years the price of cross Lincoln wethers has been considerably higher than that of the Rambouillet breed, because it has paid the Argentine sheep farmer to breed sheep for mutton ; moreover, the long wool of the cross Lincolns has been higher in price daring tbe same period than fine wool. Whether this change can prove permanently advantageous seems a matter of some doubt; but so far it ha 3 unquestionably paid the farmer. The United States take only about 50,000 bales out of a total export of 455,000 bales.