NEW ZEALAND SHEEP.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1544, 13 September 1912, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND SHEEP.

THE ANNUAL -RETURNS. The second interim'sheep returns, pre sented to Parliament on. Wednesday, dis- . close a more favourable position than was exhibited in the first interim return, '.which. gavo the shrinkage in the ; number of sheep in. New. Zealand on April , 30 last as 531,991, whereas the return now -■ , available reduces this deficit to 215,973. :; Of •this 190,261 .occurs in the North Island, and 19,709 in the South Island. Tho figures compare as under:— April, 1911. April, 1912. North Island 12,814,353 12,618,089 * South Island 11,181,773 11,132,001 23,990,126 23,750,153 1 Number of Owners. The number of owners hag decreased by 22, and it is in the South Island that . thero are fewer sheep farmers. A comparison of the figures is given below:— April, April, District. 1911. 1912. Auckland 2,161 2,517 Napier-Gisborne 2,451 2,521 Wellington-West Coast 4,619 4,61,7 -Marlborough, Nelson, Westland ~ 2,157 2,174 Canterbury-Kaikoura 4,723 4,584 Otago and Southland 5,082 5,058 21,493 21,471 Auckland shows an increase of 56 owners, Napier and Gisborne on increase ,of 70; while on the Wollington-West Coast there is a decrease of 2, making the'net | increase for the North Island, 124. • In the Marlborough, Nelson, and Westland districts thero are 17 more sheepfarmers than a year ago, while in ~ the CanterburyKaikoura district there are 139 fewer owners, and in'tho Otago-Sonthland district 24 fewer, making the net decrease in the South Island 146, and the net decrease for the Dominion £2. - Sheep in Each District, Tho numbers of sheep in each of the districts.enumerated for the two years April 30, 1911, and. 1912, compare as- . under:— . April, April, District. 1911. 1912. Auckland 1,246,000 1,259,557 Napier-Gisborne ... 5,067,472 5,595,616 : Welliagton-West Coast 5,900,881 5,762,916 Marlborough, Nel- . son, Westland ... 1,301,325 1,307,633 Canterbury-Kaikoura 5,213,439 - 5,168,492 Otago end Southland 4,607,309 4,655,939 ...'.'.' 23,996,126 23,750,153 Classification of Sheep, Another table* given in the returns which is of interest classifies the sheep, giving details of the stud sheep and flock rams, the number of each Dreed,' but not so treating the flock sheep. The table is reproduced below:— Stud Sheep and • North - South Flock Rams. Island. . Island. Merino 7,925 42,008 Lincoln '. 86,006/ 9,342 Romney ...: 215,941' 70,405 Border Leicester 12,378 ' 74,958 English -Leicester 14,032 73,712 Shropshire' 6,205 13,612 Southdown .23,920 9,247 Other 1 Breeds 6,451 39,686 372,861 333,570 ■'.; : . ' ./:.-,'; .- -flock "SheepCrossbred and-other longwools 12,198,146 9,251,080 Merino .:... 47,083 1,547,414 ..:-•.: -:-■'. ; : 12,618,059 11*132,064 Tfc'wjll be'seto'from the above that.the RSfflney an'd"tlie Lincoln'' are ''favoured 1 in tho North Island,. particularly the former; the Southdown comes third, but a long way off. In the South Island the Border and English Leicesters are the favourites, with tho Eomney close up. Females of the Flooks. • The-number of-breeding ewes, dry owes, i and the total sheep in each of the past ' seven years are given in the table ap- , p.ended:—. . . , ] April. .'Breeding- . Dry Total '• . 20. . Ewes. ' Ewes: Sheep. I 1906 ... 10,272,575 921,629 20,108,471 1907 ... 10,521,318 982,229 20,983,772 1908 ... -11,013,966- 1,152,120 22,449,053 1909 ... 12,147,547 - 1,001,067 23,480,707 1910 ..; 12,288,193 1,194,570 24,269,620 1911 ..;.' 12,094,754 1,298,343 23,996,126 1912 ;.:.12,044,247 1,324,200 23,750,153 . ' Compared with 1910 there are-- now 519,467 fewer .sheep in New Zealand, and the shrinkage will mean a smaller clip and fewer lambs. If the prices of frozen mutton and lamb j-emain attractive, the export of meat will tend to expand, and the next return ,will no donbt exhibit a decided shortage in the number of sheep depasturing in the Dominion, although the present lambing promises to be an exceptionally good one.: