THE NEW ZEALAND WOOL PRODUCTION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1802, 24 January 1884, Page 2

THE NEW ZEALAND WOOL PRODUCTION.

The following information regarding the prospects of this year's clip of wool in New Zealand, and the probable position of the wool-growing industry in the colony for some years to come, will doubtless he of interest to many of our readers. Viewed as a whole, the wool industry of New Zealand may be said to have been almost stationary for the past six years, as the following table of the exports of wool shows :—: —

And the imports of New Zealand wool into Loudon for the four series of sales have been as follow :—: — Increase. Hales. Bales. Nov. 1880 to Nov 1881.. 184.058 Nov. 1832 to Nov. 1882 101,050 9,002 The imports, into London, however, are this year show ing a considerable increase over those of the two previous years, as the following table of the imports for the three first series will show :—: — Increase, B.iies. Balci. Nov. ISbO to Aug. 1881 ... 175,700 Nov. 1881 to Aug. 1882 ... 179 028 3,322 Nov. 1882 to Aug. 1883 ...200 8(50 21,832 The absence of any important increase in the New Zealand flocks during the past four or five years is accounted for by the spread of rabbits, which, as in many parts of Victoria, have devastated large aieas of good sheep country. It is satisfactory to learn, however, that while there is little probability of rabbits ever being exterminated, they are now being so much kept under that they are not likely in future to seriously retard the natural expansion of the wool-growing industry. This is due to the more extended settlement on the Crown lands, which were formerly the great breeding grounds, and to the successful use of phosphorised oats and other methods of destroying rabbits. The production of wool in New Zealand is also likely to be still further increased by the cultivation and laying down in English grasses of large arrears of land in the various districts of the colony. In many parts the natural grasses are very poor and incapable of feeding much stock, but owing to the large and regular rainfall English grasses succeed admirably, and vastly increase the grazing capacities of the land. We understand, too, that root crops, particularly turnips, are being largely grown for feeding sheep. The successful establishment of the frozen meat industry in New Zealand seems destined, by incurring the profits to stimulate sheep fanning. To some extent, too, it seems likely to change its character, and to induce farmers to breed cross-bred and butchers' sheep in preference to merino. We understand that Southdown, Oxford, and Hampshire Down rams are being freely used, with a vieqv<* to obtaining an early fattening and goptfl meat-producing breed of sheep. Wsfl trust that in the endeavour to produce a profitable carcass wool-growing qualities will not be lost sight of, for it should be quite possible with careful selection to obtain a breed profitable from both points of view. In estimating the probable future of New Zealand from a wool-growing point of view, another matter must riot be lost sight of. In the North Island very large areas of country, said to be very good for sheep, are still in the hands of the Maoris. It is, of course, only a matter of time when the whole of these lands will be thrown open to Europeans. As in the other colonies the local wool sales in New Zealand have been growing in importance during the last few years. Now that it is being seen that prices jnati as profitable to the grower can be ob« toined in New Zealand as at the London sales, many of the owners realise on their wools in the colony in preference to run-" ning the.risk of shipment to London, and a large iuoreise in the sales is anticipated. foy fye year Is3-^ T-Aiw&ih^wu

KM'ORTS OJr WOOL FHOM NI'W /BAHND, Year. Weight. Value. !b. £ 1853 1,071 340 08,507 180.J ... 12 553,080 830,495 1873. ... 41.535 180 2 702,471 1877 . . 04,481,324 3 658,938 1878 59,270,256 3 292,807 1879.. .. 02,220,810 3 120,439 1880 . ... 06,86) 150 3,169,300 ISSI 59.415,910 2,909,760 1382 .. . . 05,322 707 3,113,554 A.ncl the following are the particulars of r.he number of sheep in the Colony during 1878 and 18S2 : — STIKEP IX I*E\V ZEALAND ON MAY 31. 1878 12 069.900 1832 12,408,196 Increase... ... 338,197