REPORT OF INSPECTOR OF SHEEP.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 952, 16 June 1868, Page 3

REPORT OF INSPECTOR OF SHEEP.

Sib, — I have the honour to forward a report oF the state and condition of the iiocks in this province. I have again the satisfaction to report the whole of the sheep in this province , Jreo from scab, or any infectious or contagious disease. I will make incidental allusion to two diseases, which prevailed to somo extent in this province last summer, both harmless enough in themselves, although, tinder certain circumstances, extremely annoying. The first .1 will allude to was a species of opthalmia, which suddenly appeared in .nearly every flock in the province ; at first appearing in a I'cw sheep, but rapidly spreading through a considerable number of the flocks, especially so during or subsequent to a journey. In no instance coming under ray own observation, did this disease prove fatal, although in many cases causing great trouble and the occasional loss of a few sheep in driving and crossing rivers. This disease has now happily passed away. From its simultaneous appearance in nearly every part of the province, I entertain the belief that it was not introduced into the province, but was rather ouo of those epidemics which cannot be accounted for, and has disappeared as suddenly and unaccountably as it came. The disease known as stomach staggers has been very prevalent this year in certain localities.

j This disease appears to be endenrieal, and has been confined to low-lying alluvial pastures, such as Meanee, Olive, PapaJmra, and Poverty Bay. This disease, I have observed, only mates its appeai'ance during a very dry and hot summer, and is easily and quickly cured by a change to higher land, and less rich but more varied pastures. When the autumnal rains set in it entirely disappears. Horses and cattle have been more or less subject to this disease during the last three summers, but it was only last summer that it prevailed to any extent among sheep. Owing to a number of the sheep returns not having yet been sent in, I am unable to furnish a statement of the number of sheep in the province to date, but assume the returns for- this year will Toe about 750,000 above 6 months old. The number of sheep imported into the province during the last twelve months only number 50, as against 614 for the corresponding period of 1866-67. This is so far satisfactory as it proves that rams are more readily procured within the province than they were formerly. . On the other hand I have no doubt the depressed state of station produce has checked to some extent the introduction of fresh blood. I will now pass on to the condition of the flocks, and make some remarks thereon. In doing so, however, I may touch on subjects which, perhaps, strictly Viewed, do not appertain to my office as Inspector of sheep, but I trust the importance of the subject and tlie vital interests involved . therein will exonerate me from the charge of presumption in doing so. While it is a matter of congratulation to be able to report the flocks free from scab, I notice a marked falling off in the ■ condition and quality of the flocks in general, and could not fail to be impressed with the belief that there are more sheep in the southern district of the province than it is capable of maintaining, even in store condition, in its present state of partial improvement. In nearly every part of the province I visited, the effects of overstocking were plainly visible, both, in the aspect of the country and the condition of the sheep— painfully evident, I may say, in the appearance of the latest of the spring lambs, which, owing to the extreme scarcity of spring grass, in consequence of the dry weather setting in so early, were prematurely weaned, very many of the ewes having gone dry for a month or two after lambing. I observe also that the young sheep of many of the flocks are losing that roundness and compactness of form which denote a strong constitution and fattening propensities, and are gradually assuming narrower and more lank proportions, and do not retain that buff or satin hue of countenance which characterise the well kept merino. It was expected that a large number of sheep would have been boiled down last autumn, but such has not been the case, the best part of the fattening season having passed over before the boiling-down establishment was ready for operations. Our exports have diminished materially within the last twelve months, and, although there is now a prospect of fat sheep being in demand in the Auckland market, for the Thames diggings, I fear wo have not many sheep in the province in sufficiently good condition to take advantage of it. Although about 30,000 sheep, principally ewes, have been lately absorbed by the Wairoa, Poverty Bay, and Taupo districts, we cannot reckon on these outlets for the future, and a grave and important question here presents itself — what is to be clone with our surplus stock ? H.ow is room to be made for the annual crop of lambs. This is a question that vitally affects the interest of the sheep farmers, and indeed the prosperity of the province in general, and should receive that serious consideration and earnest attention which it merits. Hitherto there has been no great necessity for checking breeding, as there was year by year some new country, and other vai'ied and continuous outlets for the surplus stock. This state of things is now at an end, and if any of the meat preserving experiments which have called forth such earnest attention and spirited efforts in the other colonies, prove successful and remunerative, we must still bear in mind that it will only be fat sheep that will be eligible for this outlet. 1 feel convinced that, unless this system of overstocking is checked, it will prove most I disastrous in its results, and will tend not a little to engender some virulent and fatal disease that will thin the teeming flocks, and believe, that it is mainly owing to our dry and genial climate that some such disease has not ere this made its appearance in some of the flocks. I trust to see sheai-ing operations commenced a little earlier this year, and an advantage taken of the ensuing season to cull out and boil down all unprofitable sheep (if no better market is offered for them). In furtherance of this object, I would suggest that, preliminary to the sheep going into the shearing shed; they should be passed through the drafting alley, and all old wethers and ewes, weakly constitutioned, light woolled sheep, and mongrels, of whatever age or sex, should bo carefully and unsparingly chosen, and a distinguishing mark p\it on them — say a touch of paint or ruddle down the face, and, immediately after being shorn or before leaving the yards, a more permanent and legible cull brand or mark, and all disposed of, fat and lean, so soon after shearing as possible. As sheep arc more disposed to fatten immediately after shearing, those who shear early would, I apprehend, find a tolerably good market for them in the low districts, where feed is so abundant in the spring and early summer thafc it is to a great extent wasted for want of sufficient stock to keep it down. It must not be forgotten that we have now arrived at that stage when a large 'number of store sheep must be sold for whatever they will bring, in order to be able to fatten the residue of the flocks, and give the really profitable sheep a better chance of proving remunerative to the owners, and is preferable to letting many of them die off' in the winter from starvation, as was evinced by the many complaints of light clips and short musters of last shearing. It would also give the grasses on the runs an opportunity of seeding, which many of them show their need of. This summary disposal of sheep may be objected to, but I cannot divest myself of the conviction that, unless some suck course as I have indicated, is pursued, Hawlce's Bay will not long retain the character for general excellence of its sliOep which it lias hitherto enjoyed, and, I may add, which its climate and natural advantages aro eminently calculated to promote.