The Star. THE SHEEP IN THE COLONY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 48, 25 September 1880, Page 2

The Star.

THE SHEEP IN THE COLONY.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1880.

New Zealand is at the present time a wool -growing corxnivy par excellence. In spite of the great and rapid increase which has taken place in the production and export of cerenls within the past three years, the wool-growers have more than maintained their claim to precedence, whenever the value of the exports of the colony is under consideration. For instance, taking the most recent dates for which the statistics are available, we find that during the twelve months ended 30th June, 1880, the total value of the exports was in round numbers .£5,568,000. Of whicK' amount, .82,843,000 was the estimated value of 62,171,0001b5. of wool exported. In other words, more than half the total income of the colony derived from outside sources during the year ended 30th June last, was due for wool only. During 1879, sheepskins and tallow, valued at .£166,000, were also exported ; consequently the sheep-farmers might fairly claim to have despatched nearly three-fifths in value of the total exports. This production has been kept up in the face of the establishment of large clothing factories like the Mosgiel, Nelson, and Kaiapoi factories, which now consume a large and annually increasing proportion of the wool grown hi New Zealand.

By statistics recently to hand, showing the number of sheep in the colony on the 31st May, 1879, we are able to distinguish from what parts of the colony this income is chiefly derived, which may be gleaned from the following table : —

The above figures show, it is true, a considerable reduction in numbers on the figures given in the census for 1878, according to which there were, in March, 1878, 13,069,000 sheep in the colony. However, it is believed that the figures then taken were calculated to mislead, because at no time has sheep-assessment been paid on anything lik that number of sheep, and also because at that season of the year the usual drafts of sheep for boiling-down would not have been taken, and consequently a number of sheep would be included in the return which would not appear in the ordinary statistics collected by the sheep inspectors. The summarised table published by the Department shows that there were in May, 1879, 133 sheep-owners possessed of more than 20,000 sheep. Looking over the list, the largest flocks which came under our notice in the North Island were — Messrs. Beetham Brothers, 46,000 ; Messrs. E. and H. Eiddiford, 25,000; J. Martin, 25,000, -in the Wairarapa district. Ehodes and Co., 53,700 ; Douglas McLean, 38,000; G. Hunter, 35,000; Studholme Brothers, 38,300; and J. H. Nairn, 29,728, in the Napier district.

In the South Island there are many more large flocks. In the Awatere, E. Beaumont has 32,440 ; in the Marlborough district, Mr. G. F. Bullen has 54,000; McLouchlin and Edwards, 52,000; Joseph* Ward, 46,000; Hayter and Wharton, 38,000 ; W. A. Low, 51,000 ; G. and J. Tinline, 35,500. In the Canterbury Northern Division, Mathias Bros, had 62,000 ; G. H. Moore, of Glenmark, 90,000; Wm. Eobinson, 67,000. In the Canterbury Southern Division, William Gerard, in three flocks, owned 54,000 ; J. B. A. Acland, 44,000 ; E. Campbell, 58,000; E. Elworthy, 40,000; Allen McLean, 49,000. The New Zealand and Australian Land Company, on three stations, hold 168,000; Sutherland and Co., 42,000. In Otago, Robert Campbell, jun., in two flocks, holds 130,000 ; Dalgety, Nichols, and Co., 135,000 ; Howel, Loughnan, and Cox, 51,000; Sir F. D. Bell, 51,000; Gillibrand and Co., 62,000. In Southland, G. M. Bell, on two stations, owns 50,000 ; Larnach and Driver, 35,000. The New Zealand and Australian Land Company, 44,000. We notice that the Eailway Commissioners ass ssed the total number of sheep within reach of the railway, between Stratford and Waitotara, last summer, at 148,473. Consequently, so far as mere numbers are concerned, this immediate district occupies a somewhat insignificant position. But we believe that the proportion of wool and tallow per head is so great as to make the net returns for each sheep on this coast equal to nearly twice the average throughout the colony. The same remark would apply to most of the sheep which the Eailway Commissioners thought would be likely to contribute traffic to the West Coast railway, between Wellington and Patea, and which they estimated at 535,000. In conclusion, we may remark that in the year ending December 3lßt, 1878, the wool exported "was valued at 13^d. per lb., as against 12d. for the year ending December 31st last. This decline in value would represent on sixtytwo million pounds of wool a loss to the colony of £544,000. From the above it would appear that the production of wool, for export, from about 11,700,000 sheep, was in round numbers, during the year ended June 30th last, 62,171,000 lbs., valued at This would represent a yield of 5*3 lbs. of wool per head, valued at a small fraction over lid. per lb. Of course, this must be considerably under the real average yield. The amount used for home consumption would have to be added to the exports, to show what the total yield of wool per sheep amounted

to. But at present no data are published showing what quantity of New Zealand wool is worked up in the colony. We are glad to see that exporters are gradually learning to reduce their valuations to something like a fair and moderate computation of the real value at the port of shipment.

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