NORTHERN SHEEP FOR CANTERBURY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 456, 15 March 1909, Page 2

NORTHERN SHEEP FOR CANTERBURY.

HEAVY deliveries;

Sheep have been coining into South Canterbury from other parts of tho Dominion in largo numbers (telegraphs our special correspondent). Tho s.s. AYhangapo arrived at Timaru from Gisborne on Wednesday evening, bringing 4700 ewes, anil she is expected to return early next week with another consignment of a similar number. Tho imported sheep are mostly breeding ewes and lambs, the North Island consignments consisting almost exclusively of young ewes. The abundance of feed during tho summer months lias encouraged the slieepfariners of tlic district to purchase stock very freely, and the present large arrivals ■■ of sheep chiefly represent deliveries under sale contracts completed six or eight weeks ago. Since then conditions have (says tho "Lyttelton Times") greatly changed. Tho dry weather of the last few weeks has greatly reduced tho amount of available feed, and sheep have bcconie almost a drug on the local market. Tho shortage of feed, the largo imports from other districts of the Dominion, and from the Chatham Islands, and the weakening of the Home market, have caused a drop in prices during the past six, weeks of 10 to 20 per cent.