17hectares,with plants5years old,$3,500 . . .$59,500.0051""3"1,500 . . .76,500.0024""1"200 . . .4,800.00
Land.
1,283 hectares, which have cost$28,279.65Fencing2,000.00
Other Plantations.
150,000 forest trees, 2, 3 and 4 years old at 10 cents each$15,000.008,000 olive trees, in nurseries, 10 cents each800.002,000 fruit trees, 20 cents each400.00Various Plants1,000.00
Materials for Construction.
Existing materials $800.00
Buildings and Cellars.
Existing buildings and cellars$8,000.00—————$197,079.65
Although the culture of the vine was introduced into the country a great many years ago by Mr. F. Vidiella in the South, and Mr. Harriague in the North, it may be said that it is only six years ago since this culture has been really improved and spread with great intensity all over the Republic.
The actual products of the best vine-plots may be calculated for each vintage over 6,000 barrels, that is to say over 1,400,000 litres, without counting the small vine-plots that, however, gives a fair contingent for domestic consumption.
Owing to this production and also to the diminution in the consumption on account of the crisis of 1890, an important diminution is noted in the year 1891 in the importation of ordinary wines.
Red andWhite Wines.Litres.Value.Importedin 188933,549,815$4,173,917"189029,327,4203,632,490"189121,483,6142,634,547
After a few years more the importation of ordinary wines from France, Spain and Italy will be reduced to nearly nothing.
A vine-plot, 30 hectares large and 14 years old, has given a liquid product, free from all duties, of $20,000.
Therefore, owing to the advantages that the country presents for the culture of the vine, and owing also to the vigorous impulse given to that culture during the last few years, it may be said that the day is not far remote in which the Uruguay fields will be covered with vine-plots, producing all sorts of wines, not only for local consumption, but also for exportation to Brazil and the Argentine Republic.
Under this name there exists since the year 1871, in Montevideo, an important institution dedicated to protecting the rural rights and interests, and propagating all the sciences that may be useful to agriculture, cattle-breeding and all other rural industries. The Association is the editor of an interesting publication which, with the same name as that of the society, is issued twice a month. The members of the Association continually study all that may be of interest for the progress and improvement of agriculture, cattle-feeding and all rural industries; and their studies have been extremely useful to the country.
Among the services rendered by theUruguay Rural Associationmay be mentioned the compiling of theRural Code, which is considered now as one of the laws of the nation. This "Rural Code" entrusts to the Association the rural administration of the country, and the Government consults its members over all that concerns the rural interests.
The Association possesses a large library with all the papers, reviews and books concerning rural industries. Frequently some of the members deliver lectures, which are afterwards published in theReview.
The war which ended in the year 1851, and, on account of its duration, was called the "Guerra Grande" (the great war), and the siege of Montevideo during nine years, contributed in a notable way to produce a diminution in the quantity of cattle and flocks which existed before in the Republic.
The census one year after that war (1852) only gave as the number of live stock 3,858,176, thus distributed: 1,888,622 cattle, 1,127,069 horses, 19,490 asses and mules, 796,289 sheep, 25,300 pigs, and 1,406 goats.
Eight years after (1860) when the second census was made, according to the declarations made for the payment of the Direct Contribution, there were 6,159,909 animals—that is to say: 3,632,203 cattle, 518,208 horses, 8,301 asses and mules, 1,939,929 sheep, 5,831 pigs, and 5,437 goats.
In 1886, when the farmers had still to pay the tax, according to the declarations, there were 23,967,263 animals—6,254,490 cattle, 17,245,977 sheep, 442,525 horses, 7,032 mules, 5,405 goats and 11,833 pigs.
These last figures, if compared with the former ones, prove an increase of 2,301,733 animals, or 59.65 per cent. over 1852, in favor of 1860; and of 20,109,087 animals, or 21.20 per cent. over 1852, in favor of 1886.
This increase could produce itself, notwithstanding the great quantity of animals killed every year for consumption, slaughter of theSaladerosand exportation of live stock, which represent considerable quantities.
If we bear in mind the increase that corresponds to every kind of live stock in these last years, and the quantities of animals possessed by many thousands of inhabitants who do not pay any tax for them, it may be said that the number of live stock and the value it represents in the Republic is more or less, as follows:
Cattle alone for breeding, and young bulls ($6.00 each)8,000,000$48,000,000Oxen ($15.00 each)690,00010,350,000Horses ($6.00 each)599,0003,594,000Asses and mules ($12.00 each)11,000132,000Sheep ($0.60 each)23,000,00013,800,000Goats ($1.00 each)24,00024,000Pigs ($6.00 each)23,000138,000——————————Animals32,347,000$73,038,000
If we distribute the 32,347,000 of live stock of all kinds over the 186,920 kilometres which is the total superficies of the Republic, we find for each square kilometre 173.05 animals; if we distribute them among the 708,168 inhabitants, we find that 45.67 animals of all kinds correspond to each inhabitant.
As regards the value represented by live stock and corresponding to each inhabitant, we find $103.13 for each.
The following table shows what place the Republic occupies among other nations:
Heads ofCattle forevery1,000inhabitants.Cattle.Sheep.Horses.Uruguay Republic11,29932,485846Argentine Republic5,46427,9551,868Germany37559580Spain1851,40443France30764677Italy13032437Great Britain29294686
The rather cruel experience acquired during the crisis of the year 1890, the effects of which are still to be felt, has opened new ways to the economical activity of the country, and has given a new impulse to all agricultural pursuits. Notwithstanding the scarcity of capital and the difficulties of the ways of communication, the cattle feeding has improved a great deal, with the sowing of hay andpasture of all kinds, and with the crossing of the best varieties cattle imported from Europa or bred in many important national farms.
The improvement of the varieties, in order to obtain better flesh, fat, milk, butter, wool and hides, and the taming of all the native animals, is absolutely necessary, and therefore is a powerful attraction for those who would come over to this country and dedicate themselves to cattle feeding and breeding, being sure, beforehand, of getting good profits by exporting live animals and also dead animals, by the frigorific system, to the Brazilian and European markets.
The last two years have not been very favorable to cattle industry; but the present year shows itself as if going to be very propitious to that industry, which is in such a perfect harmony with the excellent qualities of our natural fields and meadows.
Here, no pest, no contagious disease is to be feared for the cattle. The forage and water are wholesome, nutritive and pure; the climate cannot be better.
With such conditions as these, it will be easily understood why cattle industry gives a profit of more than 20 per cent. and why it is generally a sufficient compensation to the scarce production of the bad years produced by an excessive dryness or a transitory diminution in the consumption of Brazil and Europe.
Killing Season in the Killing Grounds.
There exist varioussaladerosor killing grounds in the Department of Montevideo and along the coasts of the Uruguay. Some of them are very important.
There they dry the flesh, prepare thetasajoor dried meat, salt the hides, burn the bones and elaborate extracts of meat.
To prove the importance of thefaenaor killing season in those establishments in the Republic of Uruguay, we give the following comparative table:
ANIMALS KILLED IN THE SALADEROS.
Years.Argentine Repub.Uruguay Repub.1876551,443625,4571877662,500527,6001878572,500677,0261879539,000556,5001880491,500665,5001881399,000576,1701882434,500738,5001883365,100704,4001884316,800853,6001885610,700647,0291886480,900751,0671887327,208499,5541888467,450773,4491889701,400708,9231890764,000642,1001891844,600613,500
A description of every one of the saladeros that exist in the Republic cannot be given here, being so limited in the space to be disposed of; however, it is necessary to make known the importance of the great establishment for elaborating the extract of meat by the Liebig system.
The establishment is situated on the coast of the River Uruguay, and is known to be the first establishment of its kind, not only in the River Plate, but also in all South America. The following lines will give an idea of it.
Two kilometres southward from Villa Independencia, in Fray-Bentos, Department of Rio Negro, is the great establishment of "Liebig's Extract of Meat Co." which forms by itself an important center of population.
It was founded in the year 1864 by M. Gibert. The first exportation of 230 kilogs of extract of meat got to Antwerp in November of the same year, and Baron Liebig declared that it surpassed all his hopes. Soon over 918 kilogs were exported monthly. In the year 1866 the Company was founded in London, and M.Gibert had all the machinery made in Scotland for the establishment, which began working in May, 1868. All the world knows now the extract, and its use is everywhere adopted, in the hospitals as well as in the barracks. At the Paris Exhibition in 1867 the highest prizes were given to M. Gibert for hisExtractum Carnis, this extract being the only product out of 75,000 sent to the Exhibition rewarded with two gold medals. In Vienna also in 1873 it won the great gold medal over all the other systems employed in Australia and other countries. M. Gibert died in 1874. The establishment has gone on as prosperous as ever.
It possesses great and valuable buildings with powerful steam engines to put in motion the great machines destined to all the different preparations. Thegalponor shed where the animals are skinned and cut up is a first-class one and permits the killing of 1,000 animals per diem. During the killing season of 1891 208,800 animals were killed, and in 1892 156,200. The extract exported during the year 1890, represents, according to the customhouse statistics, 820,670 kilogs, and during 1891, 711,564, giving a value the first year of $1,677,408, and the second year of $2,134,692.00
The establishment is provided with great platforms for the drying of all the materials necessary to prepare the guano or artificial manure, with spacious sheds and machinery for reducing the materials to powder, and also another shed for the grinding of bones.
Over 7,500 tons of coal and 3,500 of salt are employed yearly.
The different works in the establishment employ more than 600 persons: and the population all around the establishment is of 2,500 souls.
It has good quays where ships of all draughts can come and be quickly loaded by powerful steam-cranes.
It has a school where a good education is given to more than a hundred children, the sons of the workingmen; it has also a social club and a band, composed of the workmen.
It possesses also all the workhouses necessary for the good preparation and packing of its products.
Manysuertesof land belong to this important association in the place called "Rincon de las Gallinas," where more than 35,000 heads of cattle feed.
The capital of the society is £500,000, divided into 25,000 shares, out of which only 24,300 were issued, the putting out of the other being quite unnecessary.
The shares, the primitive price of which was £20 in London are now quoted more than double. (£42 or £44.) The dividend received by the shareholders varies between 10 and 12 per cent.
This establishment gives life and activity to the important commercial centre of "Villa Independencia" and is a great stimulus for the cattle industry in the country.
The Republic has important commercial relations with all the principal European and American markets.
Its commerce is represented by the variety of goods imported into the country and the agricultural products and cattle exported to other countries.
The imported goods are, according to the statistics, all sorts of drinks, food and provisions, cereals and spices, stuffs of all kinds, clothes, materials for industry, machines and many other goods that cannot be classed here.
The principal exports of the country are salted meat,tasajo, preserved meat, extracts of meat, tallow, horns, bones, hides, wools, preserved and dried tongues, ostrich feathers, live stock, corn, flour, wheat, canary seed, hay, oats, bran, barley, flax, vermicelli, potatoes, stone, lime, granite, pavements, agate stone, etc., etc.
The following table gives an idea of the exports and imports of the Republic from the year 1862 to the year 1891.
Years.Imports.Exports.Total.1862$ 8,151,802$ 8,804,442$16,956,24418648,384,1676,334,70614,718,873186614,608,09110,665,04025,273,131186717,657,91812,077,79529,735,713186816,102,47512,139,72028,242,195186916,830,67813,930,02730,760,705187015,003,34212,779,05127,782,393187114,864,24713,334,22428,198,471187218,859,72415,489,53234,349,256187321,075,44616,301,77237,377,218187417,181,67215,244,78332,426,455187512,431,40812,695,61025,125,018187612,800,00013,727,00026,527,000187715,045,84615,899,40530,945,251187815,927,97417,492,15933,420,133187915,949,90316,645,96132,595,864188019,478,86819,752,20139,231,069188117,918,88420,229,51238,148,396188218,174,80022,062,93440,237,734188320,322,31125,221,66445,543,975188424,550,07424,759,48549,309,559188525,275,47625,253,03650,528,512188620,194,65523,811,98644,006,641188724,615,94418,671,99643,287,940188829,477,44828,008,25457,485,702188936,823,86325,954,10762,777,970189032,364 62729,085,51961,450,146189118,978,42026,998,27045,976,690
The participation every country had in the imports and exports of the country during the last five years is represented by the following figures:
IMPORTS.
PERCENT.FROM.18871888188918901891England27.2632.3228.4427.1728.85France16.7115.3714.9815.7413.05Brazil7.428.966.807.648.88Spain8.737.497.106.712.63Italy6.898.148.868.1210.31United States6.915.379.267.554.89Germany11.5310.329.328.679.72Belgium4.865.414.424.593.85Isle of Cuba0.880.610.510.601.10Argentine Republic1.802.583.938.168.31Chile0.390.402.380.860.67Holland0.260.090.290.290.09Paraguay0.610.440.230.400.51Sweden............0.03....Portugal0.100.080.090.130.13India}China}0.030.070.010.03....Japan}Peru and Ecuador0.03.................Switzerland0.100.040.02.........Mauritius0.05.................Austria0.01.................Canary Island0.01....0.030.100.01Russia........0.560.04....Various ports5.422.282.773.17....Total100100100100100
EXPORTS.
PERCENT.FOREIGN.18871888188918901891England20.0918.1713.6913.5618.37France13.2916.2720.1321.0423.27Brazil13.6719.3912.6911.2717.55Belgium17.9612.2515.8410.8013.25United States8.168.315.556.896.85Cuba5.122.220.960.811.29Spain0.820.821.410.830.84Italy1.691.321.471.232.08Germany1.724.445.013.515.45Argentine Republic6.007.348.828.779.16Chile0.761.391.661.220.62Paraguay0.03....0.030.11....Reunion Island0.080.110.02........Peru0.030.04............Portugal0.791.040.771.150.68Maloina Island....0.060.01........Canary Island................0.01Mauritius............0.200.04Carribee Island............0.020.08Barbado Island0.03....0.010.010.01Various ports7.676.8311.9318.580.45Total100100100100100
The trade and exterior commerce of the Republic in relation with its populationhas always been superior to that of the Argentine Republic and Chile.
The following table shows that out of the imported goods during the year 1891, there correspond to each inhabitant $13.50 more than to each inhabitant of the Argentine Republic, and $3.61 more than to each inhabitant of Chile. It shows also that each inhabitant has exported $10.19 more than each inhabitant of the first country, and $14 more than each one of the second country.
Argentine Republic (1891.)What corresponds———to each4,000,000 Inhabitants.inhabitant.Imports$ 67,207,780$11.80Exports103,219,00025.80—————————Total$170,426,790$37.60
Chile (1891.)——3,000,000 Inhabitants.Imports$ 65,090,013$21.69Exports65,963,10021.99—————————Total$131,053,113$43.68
Uruguay Republic (1891.)———760,000 Inhabitants.Imports$ 18,978,420$25.30Exports26,998,27035.99—————————Total$ 45,976,690$61.29
The annual middle term of the commerce between this country and the United States of America from the year 1887 to the year 1891 is, for imports $2,014,267, and for exports $1,828,947; which proves a very important commerce between both countries, representing an annual value of $3,843,214 or $320,267, more or less, per month.
So as to prove the importance of our commerce with North America, as well in imports as in exports, we give here the statistics of this commerce during ten years, from 1882 to 1891:
IMPORTS.
I.—Drinks, in General.
1882$ 66,733188357,614188420,82618858,107188611,849188712,20718887,43218893,89618905,7961891115
II.—Eatables, Cereals, Spices.
1882$ 80,036188357,923188481,075188593,125188673,097188760,538188848,98018891,008,6501890188,581189121,239
III.—Tobacco, Cigars.
1882$ 36,300188328,235188421,692188531,510188625,136188724,386188819,122188926,234189025,018189117,074
IV.—Stuffs, Cloth, Etc.
1882$ 39,874188347,849188474,862188586,230188687,9421887118,346188872,011188999,590189061,471189138,320
V.—Linen, Clothes.
1882$59318833,56218841,80918851,62218863,01118873,15518881,31618892,56218901,67518912,844
VI.—Materials for the Industries, Machinery.
1882$ 843,0691883623,1701884959,80018851,349,6871886626,7031887985,16518881,013,82418891,660,77418901,730,1051891404,659
VII.—Various Goods.
1882$ 370,1061883355,2801884412,8621885474,8261886419,0811887498,1671888422,2231889609,8951890432,3901891443,675
EXPORTS.
I.—Live-stock.
From the year 1882 to the year 1891, there was no export of live-stock.
From the year 1882 to the year 1891, there was no export of live-stock.
II.—Cattle Industry, Saladeros.
1882$ 2,344,79418832,185,12518841,781,76618854,365,92918862,714,17218871,519,26718882,322,85418891,436,34818902,003,73918911,839,922
III.—Rural Products.
From 1882 to 1885 there was no export.
From 1882 to 1885 there was no export.
1886$ 61887301888171889251890...189124
IV.—Various Goods.
1882$ 2,26018832,03618843,38718854,66118864,90618873,55818884,12818894,939189047718919,412
The coined money, imported and exported, has been during the last five years:
Years.Import.Export.1887$3,500,440$ 7,127,14718887,497,5867,614,14718895,696,11110,148,66818907,733,8067,515,04818916,417,4055,618,582
The general navigation movement in the various ports of the Republic has become of great importance, owing to the commercial improvements and to the exemption from taxes granted by national legislation.
The following table gives an idea of it: