DISAPPEARANCE OF SHEEP.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 10141, 30 August 1904, Page 1

DISAPPEARANCE OF SHEEP.

' With reference to the reported •prevalence of sheep-stealing m the South Island, the following letter from Mr G. G. Stead was read at the last meeting of ilie Canterbury Sheepowners' Union : — "There jo every reason to believe that sheep-steal-ing on a large scale is being carried on systematically m North Canterbury. I own a small property m the neighborhood of Wuikari, which carries about 10,000 sheep. The average loss by deaths during the past few years has been 1 between 2 and 3 per cent. Last year, .however, despite the fact that all the slieep on the place were young, strong, and healthy, between 1500 and 1600 sheep are missing. I have two paddocks of 3000 acres each, four paddocks of 2000 acres each, the balance of the property being fenced m small areas of SQ acres or so. My son and the head shepherd have been over the place time and again, and have failed to Hud more tlian a. few dead carcases. He finished .shearing lasfc December, when he found there were 1500 to 1600 sheep missing. Shortly afterwards we cleared off every old sheep on the place. In Maroh the sheep were brought an and dipped, when tliero was a further shortage of 400, i.e., 400 between) the shearing m December and the dipping m March. Probably 100 were killed for use on the place, but m any case this would show a shortage of 300 young, strong, healthy sheep during the three summer months. Every effort lias been made to discover the leakage, with the result that, both my .son and our neighbors aw unanimous m believing that the loss is caused by theft."