PASTORAL INDUSTRIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 214, 8 September 1892, Page 3

PASTORAL INDUSTRIES.

URGE INCREASE IN SHEEP.

DECREASE IN MEAT EXPORT.

(BY j___**_-fc-*AM_AHMttABT BEPORTBR.)

Wellington, this day. A OTirttß Of interesting figures bearing oft the pastoral industries and the export of frozen meat aro given in the annual report -t *_« chief In-Dector of Stock circulated tof^ThftS number of **?*$ liVtnv last year is returned as 16,753,70_, S whlc 6 93_,638 are stated to be merinos, __d 10 8.0,214 other breeds. In every sheep dSric there was a considerable increase cept Canterbury and Kalkoura whore there was a decrease of 15,410. me iTJ increase for the colony was 637,639, nd over hTof this was in tho WellingtonWest Coast district. The report has the following remarks under the heading »_B2s*™«There has been considerable mortality amongst flocks in two» Of th ,9 districts, but Mr McLean, Gove n ttent veterinarian, after having carefully examined the different cases, is able to reSSTthai It is purely of a local nature,, and id no way infectious or contagious. The •mysterious' disease which has existed in Tauranga districb for tnahy years still causes considerable loss; but, from personal inquiries made, it has nob been 0 troublesome this pasb season. When in that district I made inquiries about s°our. ing a suitable piece of land, with a view of carrying out some experiments to, II possible, discover means to combat this trouble, and negotiations are now pending which, ib is hoped, will lead to a successful Usue,sothat early steps can be taken to commence operations." The report shows thab at the 4th ADril, 1891, there were 831,831 cattle in the colony, of which 42,912 were ownod by Maoris; a few ca-6- of dißeaße were reported from several districts, and action was taken bo have the beasts destroyed, i The following atatistics of the export of fro-en beef and mutton will bo of interest: —Doring the year ending 31sb March, 1892, the number of carcases of frozen mutton and lamb exported was 1,768,055, being a decrease of 78,178 carcases as compared with the previous year. This falling off is largely accounted for by the superabundance of feed and the large area of new country opened up lasb year. The increases and decreases of trade at the different ports showsome curious fluctuations. Thus Auckland shows an increase of 7,322 carcases; Napier, a decrease of 188,887; Wellington, decrease 86,703; Lyttelton, decrease 159,333; and Dunedin, decrease 16,886. On the other hand Timaru Bhowa an increase of 153,734 carcases, Bluff and Invercargill an increase of 69,868; Oamaru, increase 30,102. The four following ports appear for the firsb time in the return, excepb in the case of Picton, which had a small export in 1885, viz:— Poverty Bay, 50,061 carcases ; New Plymouth, 8,195; Wanganui, 4,042; Picton, 13,507. This shows the decentralising tendency in the export of frozen mutton. The following are.the statistics of the export of frozen beef for the year ending 31st March lasb: — Auckland, 5,969cwb; Namflr, 11,7.4; Wellington, 65,480; Poverty Bay, 4,311; New Plymouth, 1,973; Wanganui, 2,018 ; Lyttelton, 1,708 j Dunedin, 13 ; total,' 111,196cwt; valued at £117,109. Reference; is made in the report to the recenb enlargemenb and improvement of quarantine grounds for stock, and the statement is made thab measures will be adopted to simplify quarantine forms and reduaejespenses lj connection with the importitioa of-stock, - .