SHEEP IN ENEMY COUNTRIES.

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 18, 22 January 1916, Page 12

SHEEP IN ENEMY COUNTRIES.

• In discussing with a Christchurch' Press representative the probablo demand for wool immediately- after the war, 'a wellknown local wool buyer remarked that Germany would .not be badly off for \yool aa there wore about 25,000,000 ehee'p irl" ths oountry.- He was not quite convinced wh^n told that Germany had that. number thirty years ago, but that tha stocks were now. reduced to about 5,000,000. In Dalgety'e Annual Wool Review for Australasia for the 1913-14. season, statistics ■ are given showing the -number of sheep in the different countries of the world at the latest date. These figures ahow that Germany only H« r,5,'! 87'? 48' s,heop' a3 compared with MOp.VIQ when the return was given in 1912. The events of the past eighteen months are not likely to havo tended to any. iiicroa.se in the flocks of Germany. Austria-Hungary has more than doubVthe number of sheep.stocks of Germany the total being 13,475,159. Another fairly large sheep country" is Bulgaria, which has 8,130,997, arid in Turkey there are .6,912,568. Other Balkan States-carry sheep, as follows:—Roumania, 5,655 444Seirvia,. 3,160,166; Montenegro,- 40O'OC°' whilst Greece has • 6,000,000. The total sheep in the .enemy countries—Garmany Austria-Hungary, and Turkey-^o not therefore amount to more than 26,175,575, or about four millions less than' in the United ■Kingdom. Ths countries on the that have the largest sheep stocks are:-rltussia,'France, Spain and Italy, and they havo about 89,000 000 between them. The , sheep m Eastern Europe are. not more than sufficient to supply, the inhabitants with their own requirements in wool, so that beyond what wool" they have been able to seize in overrun country, Germany'and Austria Jiave httle chance of securing wool supplies in Europe. The Scandinavian countries have not more than 3,000,000 sheep between them; so: that little wool-could be "-ot direct from them.- ■•,•'■

■ Last week (says the Australasian of Sth January) waa. notable for tho magnificent rainfall in ..Queensland, which commenced in; tha .Carpentaria and. central-west districts, and later visited- the .whole State, except tho country, south of the railway •line to Mitchell. In the/northern, central and- soutb-we3tern areas, there "were, numerous totals' of- two and three, inchaa, while registrations of over ono inch were general. In the north tho rain 'fell in torrents—Burketown, 993 points' in three days, Cairns 1055 in two^days, Innisfail 784 in two days, being tke heaviest falls recorded. While soaking rain is still required in the Darling Downs, the rainfall so far may be regarded as a break-up of dry conditions. In the southern States thundery weather has prevailed, with .scattered fails of rain. Some-damage to wheat crops from fires started by lightning has resulted. Wheat is rolling in., to the country stations in ever-increasing volume; and there is no doubt but that the 40-million-bushel mark will be considerably exceeded. Tho 000 l weather has helped 'grain considerably in late districts, and the returns are much higher than.early estimates allowed. ■

A few weeks ago a big Shorthorn, bull was sold at the _ Addington saleyards at £26 5s for potting,' but a monster, bull has been recently sold in Gloucester market, England,, .for £55. He -weighed 1 ton 7 owt- (30801b). .-■ ■ .

North' Island buyers,^ who have been looking for • strong orossbred . Shoep In Canterbury find (says a Southern paper) little. to suit their requirements,,' as the bulk of the sbeep offering show more or less, merino blood, and,these do' rfot stand the moister climate of the North as. well as the ooarsor woolled' sheep. -. A foitnighf ago a Southland buyer.-was operating, freely in Canterbury,'but has riot since returned.. The South should bo able to take a lot more ■ sheep, as :thero 'is abundance of feed, and the country is understocked. More will no doubt be required when the. turnip and swede crops are ready. *

The extraordinary price of £24 was gjiven at the Barnard-streot -Mart, Darlington (Yorkshire),,in.November last, for a bacon pig bred by Mr. George Harrison, of Gainford. It was of the Large ■\Vhite Yorkshire breed. '.-...The. previous highest price was £17, whioh was paid about the same time last year.

The solo of/a Su-acre farm in ihe BuniiyUiorpe district at £72 10s per aero is reported by the Manawatu'..Standard. ]i"or another- property, which was bought six years ngo for i!4O per acre', an. advance of £20. por aero 'vftis rofu'sj-od.

■ -Mr. R. E. Beatiie 'this 'demonstrated ■that it- is possible to-grow'wheat iv the Woodvillo district (snys-lhe. Napior-Tolo-griiljli). At Hio present time he ia ;liarvesting ono of the iinesf,. wheat, crops possible to imagine. It will certainly return liim anything up to 60 to 60. busholo to the acre.