THE SHEET RETURNS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3098, 30 July 1913, Page 14

THE SHEET RETURNS.

The sheep returns disclose a shortage of 89,000 sheep over the whole Dominion, and of 308,768 for the South Island. It is gratifying to find that the numbers in the North Island have increased by 219,766, thus making up to some extent for the deficiency in the South Island. The total number of sheep in the Dominion now stands at 23,661,151, against 25,750,153 in 1912. The decrease; in the South Island was not general. As a matter of fact, in Otago proper there was a satisfactory increase. In Southland, on the other hand, there was a decrease of 165.338, in Canterbury and Kaikoura of 123,053, and Marlborough, Nelson, and Westland of 20,577. These figures indicate that the lambing in the back country "’as not so good as was anticipated. A nasty cold snap in the spring just at lambing time mnet have had a disastrous effect on the returns. -V great many lambs were also lost in the wet weather in Southland this year. And as feed in tne south has not been too plentiful, many sheep have been got rid of in various ways, which in an ordinary season would have been kept on. The lambing returns seem to have, been materially affected in Canterbury also, and next year will probably be worse still. The difficulty of getting the ewes mustered to mate with the rams, their weak condition off the snow, and the time of year at which the rams were turned out—some of them as late as June, so that many of the ewes will not be in lamb—all point to a poor lambing return next year. That does not account for this year’s deficiency in Canterbury, although similar causes no doubt contributed, "in view of the operations of the freezing companies, the increase in Otago is, under the circumstances, highly satisfactory. This year the Christchurch Meat Company put through 160.000 sheep and lambs at Burnside — which was just about an average year at that centre. But in addition to that the new works at Clutha accounted for about 90.000 sheep, and very few lots came from south of Clinton. Mat-aura was not much affected—if any—by the Clutha works. The previous year the C.M.C. had only 138.000 at Burnside, so that the year was an exceptionally good fattening one in spite of the amount of wet Aveather experienced. A factor which lias operated more largely this year than hitherto in the decrease elsewhere has been the large number of second-class sheep and secondclass lambs which have been purchased for the freezing chamber. At the present time there is only about three-sixteenths of a penny between first and second quality lambs. The general average of the lambs sent away was not up to previous years, and if it is going to pay as Avell to send away second-class lambs as firstclass, Avhat inducement will be left to finish them properly on the farm? Centerbury has drawn on Otago and Southland for fattening and breeding stock to a considerable extent during the year. The sheep Avhich Avent north Avere mostly hoggets, but several linos of breeding eAve.s were also trucked north during the year. It scorns to have taken, from April 30 to July 15 to get these sheep returns tabulated. Some time ago Mr Jno \V. Ritchie, the Secretary for Agriculture, endoaA'oured to fix the end of January for the sheep returns, but North Island flock-OAvners objected that that date Avas too soon to suit them. If it could be possible to tabulate them in one month instead of two and a-half, the end ot February might he fixed. The shearing is all over at that time, and if the number of cull ewes available Avas published the information would he of greet value to intending purchasers. Some indication might also be conveyed of the number of Avethers, which would bo forthcoming for turnip feeding. In the last 10 years the flock of the Dominion has increased from 18,954,553 in 1903 to 25,661.151 in 1913 in spite of having sent away 47 3-5 millions of sheep and lambs during that time. The number sent aAvay since the initiation of the trade 31 years ago runs into over 82 millions of sheep and lambs.