Enormous Losses in Sheep

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1897, 15 October 1886, Page 2

Enormous Losses in Sheep

There has been great destruction of sheep in Buenos Ayres. Captain Baldwin, in a letter to the Otago Daily Times says toat hie private advices place the destruction of sheep and lambs as high as 20,000,000. He estimates tbe deficiency in the wool supply in Buenos Ayres for the nine months ending the 80th Jane, 1886, as compand with tbe same period of 1885, at 50,000 bales; and as each bale weighs, say, SOOlbs, tbe deficit would thns amount to 40,000,000tb, or nearly half the entire clip of New Zealand. The special correspondent of the Canterbury Free* writes that the area of camp subject to floods is about 25,000 square miles, stocked with 3.000. cows, and about 25,000,000 sheep. Folly one-half of this extent of osmp is nadir water daring four montbe at least of tbe year, tbe consequence being that the nmainder is overstocked. As s rale cows end mane will bold ont it they find dry ground to sleep on, but if the floods be of long duration the first cold weather spnada death. In this manner thousands of animals die. If they do not die they give no inenaee. According to the (standard it appean that the destruction was caused by su epidemic. This paper says—- “ Every day brings fresh confirmation of the widespread looses of sheep, the estimate being 20.000. including lamb*. Only a small number perished in tbe floods, the mortality being chiefly caused by an epidemic, which some farmers ascribe to a change in the grasses of the districts heretofore overstocked. The same paper of 27th Jnly gives the following additional information :—“ There has not been such mortality amongst the flocks since the great drought of 1859, an interval of 27 years ; and it is feared that tbe aufleringe of the humbler class of shsepfsrmers will be intense.