Page 8 Advertisements Column 2

Dunstan Times, Issue 3141, 30 October 1922, Page 8

The latest sheep returns for 1922 slums a total of 22,245,473, or a decrease of 1.039,558 over 1921. In April, 1918, there were in the country 26,538,302 sheep, so that in four years there has been a decrease of over 4.1 millions. The decrease is not difficult to account for —heavy slaughtering during the later war period one lambing much below the average, great extension of dairying on what was previously, sheep country, and larger areas given over to wheat: production, especially in Canterbury. In 1921 thetotal number of lambs slaughtered was the heaviest sinco 1916, being 3,563,i)7l). compared with 3,280,601 in 1920, notwithstanding that there was a drop of 634,000 in the total .sheep stocks in tliat period. On the other hand the number of breeding ewes was greater in 1921 than in the previous year by 578,113. It was confidently expected that owing to low prices for meat and wool recently that sheep would have shown a considerable increase. It is evident that this country, on its present area of pasture could carry at least three or lour million more sheep than it is now carrying, and since prices for mutton, lamb .and wool are fairly satisfactory, it is time thai, our pastoralists increased their Hocks.. "Motion is all Nature's law. Action is man's salvation, physical and mental.. Ho only is; truly wise who lays himself out to work till life's latest hour, and that is the man who will live the longest and live to the most purpose."