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Show MEXICAN CATTLE BUSINESS. Consul William W, Canada of Vera Crux contributes a review of the conditions con-ditions in the gulf region of Mexico for cattle raising, which will prove of Interest to western stockmen; "The breeding and fattening of cattle cat-tle is a business offering large and quick returns on the capital invested," says the consul, "but has been almost al-most entirely overlooked by Americans Ameri-cans seeking investment in the stato of Vera Cruz. Large investments have been made in the interior of tho republic and with satisfactory m. suits to the investor in every instance, yet nothing has been done here, where better conditions obtain and better results re-sults are possible than in any other part of Mexico, "In almost all parts of the interior tho frequent long droughts with shortage short-age of pasturage and the still greater danger .of lack of water are serious matters to be taken Into account in tho consideration of a cattle proposition proposi-tion on the central table lands. Years may pass without loss to the cattleman cattle-man in the higher altitudes, bat isooner or later the drought comes and tho profits of years are liable to be wiped out in a single bad year. Diseases Dis-eases of different natures are of frequent fre-quent occurrence in the interior, which add to the insecurity of investments. invest-ments. In the state of Vera Cruz, however, droughts are unknown in any sense that implies risk to the cattle cat-tle breeder, while the region is singularly sin-gularly exempt from diseases of cattle. cat-tle. "Tho entire oast region, extending from ocean level up into tho foothills to an altitude of about 2.000 feet, offers of-fers almost Ideal conditions for breeding breed-ing and fattening cattle for the markets mar-kets of the republic, especially Yucatan Yuca-tan and also the Cuban market. On the low plains , of the coast native grasses furnish abundant pasturage the year round, and lean cattle on these plains are rarely seen. "Carefuly selected lands, which can be secured in large or small tracts, may be obtained at from $3 to $7 United Unit-ed States currency, per acre. A range, to offer the best conditions, should be selected so as to Include some low plain and some hilly land, running up some hundreds of feet above set level. "The cattle business, in order to give quick returns, requires here, as in the dry regions a heavy Investment. Ten thousand acres of land would require an outlay of from $30,000 to $C5,000 United States currency. To stock a range of this size at once will also require a large capital. The returns on such an investment, of course, would bo proportionately great, and within about six months from the tlmo of making It. "Tho - stockman can secure natlvo cattle from three to four years old up in the interior, the state of Hidalgo and San Luis PotosI, at from $.50 to $12.50 per head, and drive them overland over-land to his pastures. In most cases the prices will covor all costs of driving driv-ing the cattle to Vera Cruz. In the luxuriant pastures of tho moist lower levels the lean cattle will take on flesh very rapldy and within ten months afterwards will be worth on the range from $25 to $33 a head. "Why Vera Cruz should have been so long overlooked by those interested in the cattle business seems very 6trange. It is time that the advantageous advan-tageous conditions for tho cattle business bus-iness were made known to American investors rather than that attention should be centered on rubber and other tropical farming which at best are matters of long waiting for returns; re-turns; especially putting money in banana ba-nana plantations, where it is a question ques-tion of how to get thoni to a market." |