DOMINION FLOCKS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 292, 7 December 1923, Page 4

DOMINION FLOCKS.

OFFICIAL SHEEP RETURN. INCREASE IK EWES. (By Telegraph—PreM AMocSition.) ' WELLINGTON, this day. The official sheep returns issued ot th»' Department of Agriculture in respe* £ the 1923 season show an increase of ewe« in New Zealand this year as compared wrth last year of 566,949. The official lambing estimate for this season reveals' an estimated increase over the whole Dominion of 655,541 lambs. The stocks of sheep in the Dominion have considerably decreased in the laet few years With the improved financial petition and the improved price of wool more ewe lambs will probably be kept this year, so that although there ie an estimated increase of 655.541 lambs it" it doubtful whether the shipments for the ensuing year will be much, if any, in advance of the previous year. The Australian position, as shown br a cablegram just received by the New ' Zealand Meat Producers' Board from its Australian representative, is as followsShipments for October. 1923, 42,600 carcases of lamb; shipments for November. 1923, 294,000 carcases of lamb-, whilst it is estimated that for December shipments will be about 300.000 carcases of lamb, and that this will practically* finish the season. Comparative lamb shipments from Australia last year for the same months were as follows: October. 1922, 412,800 carcases: November, 1922. 950.540: 1922. 500,000; January, 1923. 240.000: February. 1923. 205,000; March to end of season, 306,103; total, 2,614.533 carcases. In regard to mutton, shipments this year are as follows: October, 1923. 375 carcases: November. 1923. 16.700; December, 1923 (estimated*. 30,000. In 1922 shipments were: October, 1922, 65.430 carcases; November. 1922, 115,613: December. 1922, 415,000; .January. 1923. 440,000; February, 1923, 405.000; March to the end of season, 311.701: total, 1,732,744 carcases. Shipments from the Argentine for this year and last year to date are as fOII6WS: — 19ii. 1923. Lamb— October ~\ .3*l 59.700 November 288.333 I-M.SOO Mntton—October T. 1.052 T9.530 Xovember l 19.71S lio.lCO