The real commencement, however, of the series of great annual shows now held at Palermo was made by the Rural Society in 1875.
The chief live stock exhibits at these shows consists of—
| Horses. | “Criollos” (native breed). |
| Saddle and race horses. | |
| Light draught. | |
| Heavy draught (now in the majority). | |
| Cattle. | Shorthorn (in a very large majority). |
| Hereford. | |
| Polled Angus. | |
| Dairy breeds. | |
| Sheep. | Merino. |
| Lincoln-Merino crossbreds. | |
| Lincoln. | |
| Romney Marsh. | |
| Shropshire Down. | |
| Oxford Down. | |
| Hampshire Down. | |
| Leicester. |
The majority of the sheep exhibits are Lincolns and Merinos.
Fine Pigs and Poultry of all kinds are also to be seen at these shows, but they are chiefly contributed by the wealthier estancieros. As has been indicated, the day of pig and poultry farming on a large practical scale has not yet dawned on the River Plate.
Mr. Herbert Gibson shows us, in his valuable Monograph attached to the Argentine National Agricultural and Live Stock Census of 1908, that the coming of Cold Storage establishments, as well as the increase of the export trade for animals on the hoof, was very largely instrumental in securing the predominance of the Lincoln breed, most frequently crossed with merino.
Merino for wool and Lincoln for mutton; and the cross which preserves the best qualities of both is in effect the guiding rule of the River Plate sheep-breeder of to-day. However, with the coming of alfalfa came also the various black-faced or Down breeds which mature quickly into fine meat carcases.
It may be said that barbed wire, iron water-drawing windmills and cold storage establishments are the chief inanimate supports of the River Plate Live Stock industries. Another should be trees; the prime necessity of which to afford shade for animals which know no other roof but the heavens, from which a very hot sun shines on the Pampa in summer time, is not yet as generally appreciated as it should be. Still the planting of trees on pasture lands began some years ago, and only could be wished to spread more quickly and universally than it has yet done.
One is all too apt in dealing with the River Plate Republics to confine one’s ideas regarding them to industries of a magnitude commensurate with the huge extent of their Territories; but with the coming of the real colonist, when he does come, the mixed farming which, necessarily for his own comfort, he will bring with him will greatly enhance the importance of milch breeds of cattle, pigs, poultry and the produce of the kitchen garden in the rural economy of the River Plate.