SHEEP RETURNS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 27 July 1907, Page 6

SHEEP RETURNS.

k A perusal of the sheep returns for the year ending 30th April last, which have just been made public, reveals some Interesting facts, the most striking being the great strides made by this coast in. the matter of alieep-raismg. This is but a natural sequence of the wonderful progress on this coast, due to the opening up of the land, and each succeeding year should disclose still further improvement. The bushinan's axe is busy inland bringing into cultivation larj* areas of virgin country, and by the time another sheep return Is taken tens of thousands of acres of land, formerly unproductive, will be supporting large numbers of sheep. Last year the total number of sheep in the colony was 20.108,471, the Soujli Island having a slight preponderance over the Xorth Island. Thin year, however, the positions are reversed, the North Island being in possession of over half a million more sheep than the South, the figures being—North bland 10,712,770, Sooth Island 10,104,029. The total number of sheep in both Islands is a record for the c010ny—20,816,799. The nearest approach to this was in 1902, when the total reached 20,542,727. Of the increase of 708,328 last year over the previous year's figures, the South bland only accounted for 5289, while this coast, between the Moknu and Waikanae, was responsible for more than k*lf. kindly supplied by Mr A. K. Blundell, the Stock Inspector for the West Coast district of the Xonh Island, are as follows:

' 190<i 1907 Increase CU/ton 26,312 .19,744 13,432 Taranaki.. .. 28,977 37,699 8722 Egroont .. .. 4673 8943 4270 Stratford .. 90,371 129.538 39,167 Havera .... 11->O9 101,819 25.241 EHham .. .. 34,901 Pate* 231,413 262,631 31.218 Waitotara .. 140.446 168,981 22,535 Waimarino .. 584)72 76,223 17.251 Wanganui .. 380.948 404,621 43,673 ftangrtlkri .. 717,106 824,648 107,542 Ooaa ... 151.333 5068 Katanga 25928:1 113.624 Kiwitea .. .. 282,825 314,028 31,203 Pohangina .. 121,941 140,873 18,932 Jlanawatu .. 147,054 150.614 3560 Ilorowhenua 130,858 140232 9374 Totals .. 2,718,694 3,100,482 381,788]