DOMINION’S DAIRY COWS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 180, 14 July 1928, Page 12

DOMINION’S DAIRY COWS

INTERIM RETURN TOTAL 1,312,126.

AN INCREASE OF 8,900.

Following tho recent announcement of the interim return of sheep, showing the record total of 27,001,236, provisional returns have now been issued of other live stock, enumerated at January 31. The outstanding facts are an increase of 8900 dairy cows in the Dominion.

The record number of dairy cows was 1,323,432 in i'j2J. iNexi year there was a heavy lull to i,303,b06, and last year a lurther decline, though by only 631. lhe provisional return for 1U26 shows a total of 1,312, 126. an increase or 89UO in the year. 'lhe reduction in dairy herds has, however, been wholly in tne South Island, lor even in 1920-2 . the North Island census showed a diiieieuce oi only seven fewer, With that insignificant exception, the number of dairy cows in the North Island has rapidly increased. In four years there has been an increase of 01,U90, so that in 1928 the North Island had 1,055,886 or 80.47 per cent, of the country’s dairy cows. The increase in tho last year alone, has been 19,121. In tho same period of four years the number of dairy cow ;s in the South Island has declined from 307,797 to 256,240, a shrinkage of 51,557. The total number of cattle was at the record figure of 3,563,497 in 1921 since when there has been an annual decline. Excluding dairy cows there were 2,250,909 cattle in 1924; the interim return for 1928 shows 1,890,598. a reduction of 360,311. Pigs numbered 567,874. an increase of 47.731 for the year, and easily the record number. A further decline in the number of holies is shown, tho total being 1._j,1i2, a.s ag’diisi 303,713 in 1927. .