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and Co., i was shown through this institution, and a marvellous place it is. It was started a year later than the River Plate Works, and has been many times enlarged and added to both in buildings and plant. This works is situated at the Barracas, Buenos Aires. The Sansinena Company are canny about giving much information regarding the operating of their business. I was, however, able to see how they handle the sheep and steers during the killing process. At most of the works in the Argentine, including the liiver Plate Factory at Campana, they have a system of placing men at different jobs, such as carrying the sheep to the bleeding-benches, and others to do the bleeding. Then they are carried to the hooks, where they are skinned by a different man from the one who takes the internals out. The same is the case with steers—for instance, they have a special man for skinning and cutting the knuckle part of the leg, <fee. In my opinion, there seems to be too much handling of the sheep by hand in most of the works in the Argentine. I am also convinced that we have not much to learn from the Argentine so far as the killing of beef and sheep is concerned. The exact capacity of the Sansinena Works I was not able to get, but was informed that they had a killing-capacity of over seven thousand sheep and four hundred to five hundred steers per day. There are other important freezing-works in the Argentine. There is the Las Palmas Produce Company (James Nelson and Sons, Limited), which is a fairly large concern. Three new and important freezing concerns were started in 1902: one at Baliia Blanoa, by the Campania Sansineua de Carnes Congeladas; also a new one, the La Blanca, at the Boco, Buenos Aires. This latter company only started operations in April last. They have a first-class works with an improved plant, and have a killing-capacity of 4,000 sheep and 300 cows or steers per day. The next works visited was the La Plata, at the Town of La Plata, on the La Plata River. This works was in course of construction when I was there. They are putting up enormous buildings and equipping the place with an up-to-date plant. From information received, and from the appearance of the various cattle districts in the neighbourhood of La Plata, and also the thousands of fat cattle one sees in this part of the country, I am of the opinion that this works may become one of the most important in the republic. Mr. C. A. Macdonald, owner of the Hercules refrigerating business in Australia and South Africa, was installing three large freezing-machines at the time of my visit. These three machines will have a capacity of 120 tons each. Mr. Macdonald is also installing three Hercules machines of enormous capacity in a new freezing-works on the River Plate, quite close to the City of Buenos Aires. Mr. Macdonald has had the planning of this latter works, and I think it is the finest laid-out or designed works in the country. The engine and freezing-room is going to be the most complete I have ever seen. In connection with these works they have erected an enormous building where the hides will be treated by different processes. This hide and fellmongery department will be in charge of an expert from Germany. To see the great smokestacks in course of erection at these new works would give one the idea that the company intend doing some business. After travelling for a few days in the Argentine I came to the conclusion that it was the country of smokestacks. Often you will see in the distance a great stack towering high in the air, and upon inquiry you may be informed, " Oh! that at one time was a boiling-down works," or perhaps it might be a brewery or a soap-factory. Before leaving the question of the last two new works just described, 1 wish to express my deepest appreciation of the kindness extended to me by Mr. C. A. Macdonald and his son during my stay in the republic. To see the millions of fat cattle dotted all over the country, and such an abundance of grass and water late in the autumn, I could not help but think that some day the Argentine will down the world in the growing of beef. According to figures given in the Year-book, the Argentine is working under better conditions in the growing of live-stock than any of the British colonies. It is claimed that at present the majority of the freezing companies are working with much less expense in the administration, dec, taking it the year round, and their output is much greater, thereby enabling them to pay in proportion enhanced values to the estanciero (farmer). Another strong point in favour of the Argentine estancieros is that they work steadily throughout the whole year, whereas according to statistics the upwards of fifty stations in the British colonies are only able to work ou an average, taking them all round, a little over one-third of the year. So enormous is the business of growing fat stock in the Argentine becoming, that it is estimated by reliable authorities that within very few years they should be able to export two million steers either alive or through the freezing-works. In order to give our people some idea of what they have to compete against, I quote the following figures from the Argentine Year-book for 1902 and 1903: In 1902 the exports of cattle or steers from the Argentine was 118,303 head. The number of cattle exported in 1903 is said not to vary much from 1902. The number of wethers shipped in 1902 was 122.501 ; horses, 16,008; frozen mutton, 80,073 tons ; sheep-skins, 41,405 tons; salted cow-hides, 35,343 tons; dried cow-hides, 26,558 tons; salted horse-hides, 135,685; dried horse-hides, 282,138; wool, 197,936; jerked beef, 22,304; frozen beef, 70,018; tallow, 49,095. I have much pleasure in quoting a few of the statistics just issued by the Ministry for Agriculture for 1903 —that is so far as the meat industry is concerned. The principal exports in this industry were frozen sheep and lambs, 2,445,993; frozen beef, 84,628 tons; wool, 192,989 tons; sheep-skins, 41,475 tons; hides, 37,239 tons; horse-hair, 2,241 tons; tallow, 39,000 tons. The bulk of the frozen meat in 1903 was shipped to the United Kingdom and South Africa, but most of the wool went to France. The sheep-skins went to Germany, Belgium, and the United States, the bulk to the two former countries. The value of the wool exported from the Argentine in 1903, estimating it at $2.61 gold per 10 kilos., was $50,424,168 gold, or, say, over £10,000,000. Last year 1,202,100 cattle were slaughtered for dried beef. In addition to this, 269,000 were slaughtered for making extract and preserved beef. I landed in the Argentine in February, and 1 noticed that the exports of frozen sheep and lamb for the previous month, January, were 194,731 carcases, and of frozen beef 72,150 quarters.