Uruguay Rural Association.
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 the Uruguay Rural Association may be mentioned the compiling of the Rural 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 the Review.
Cattle.
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.