H.—2l

14

The lambing was again a good one, though in various parts of the district there was some mortality among breeding ewes prior to lambing, principally amongst those bearing twins. Some loss was also sustained from docking, and from shear cuts at shearing time. Lice. —In this direction I can still report continued improvement. Wool. —The clip has been generally good and sound; but the condition of the wool in many of the back-country flocks was hardly as good as usual. The export of wool from Lyttleton was, up to the 28th February, 1893, about 3,000 bales larger than up to the 28th February, 1892. Frozen Meat. —The number of sheep and lambs frozen shows a very considerable increase. In the twelve months ended 31st March, 1892, the total number amounted to 531,873 ; whilst in the twelve months ended 31st March, 1893, 636,067 carcases of sheep and lambs were frozen. There was a falling-off in the number of carcases of cattle frozen. There were frozen at— Sheep. Lambs. Cattle. Belfast ... ... ... ... 155,129 115,666 133 Islington ... ... ... ... 265,272 98,080 Lyttelton ... ... ... ... 1,920 Total ... .. ... 422,321 213,746 133 thus showing an increase in sheep and lambs of 104,194. Horses. —The main trouble in connection with horses is the bot-fly, though I do not know that in any case death has been directly caused thereby; they are a source of great annoyance. A very large number of horses in different parts of the district have been seriously affected by influenza. Cattle. —Cattle as a rule are in good condition and healthy ; but there is a certain amount of disease amongst them, and the number condemned and destroyed (the carcases being buried) points to the necessity of a more stringent and general inspection of this stock. Forty-two head were destroyed in the district, and this number included milking-cows, springers, steers, and fat and store stock.- The larger number of cases consisted of tuberculosis. Babbit Nuisance. —ln this respect both Inspectors Eees and Cunningham report favourably. Quarantine. —A larger number of stock than usual has been quarantined during the past year. The improvements in the quarantine-station which have been carried out have given a good deal of satisfaction. General. —The harvest has not as a whole turned out as well as had been expected, the threshing returns being in many cases very disappointing. I have not heard of any cases of either Hessian fly or Bathurst burr in this district. Christchurch. E. F. Holdeeness.

Amuri-Kaikoura Division. Sheep. —The general health of the flocks in this district is good, and no unusual mortality has been reported. All the sheep appear to be in good condition for commencing the winter. The lambing was fairly good, ranging from 40 per cent, up to as high as 80 per cent., and had it not been for a fall of snow which came at the commencement of the dropping and destroyed a number of lambs, the marking would have been nearly 10 per cent, higher. The clip in many places did not appear to be as good as usual. The wool was light, and not in good condition, there being a large percentage of dry yolk, owing to the wet and severe winter; there was also on some of the back runs a good deal of sandy wool. Foot-rot. —There are still a good many sheep about the lowlying lands in Kaikoura District affected with foot-rot, but I only know of one flock in Amuri which is troubled with it; and in all cases owners take steps to eradicate the disease. Lice. —l have not come across any lousy sheep in this district yet. Cattle. —The health and condition of the cattle is good, and I have not heard of any special mortality. I found a cow affected with cancer at Waiau last winter, and had it destroyed. Horses. —All apparently well. The bot-fly is numerous all over this district, and very bad at Hanmer Plains, but I have not heard of it at Kaikoura yet. Crops. —The amount of cropping done in this district is comparatively small, in most places being only for home consumption. What was grown yielded about the usual average. The turnip crops I have seen do not appear to be as good as last year's. I have not heard of the Hessian fly or any other pest having made its appearance here. I have no information as to the state of the Kaikoura crops. Babbits. — I have much pleasure in reporting a decrease in the number of rabbits during the past twelve months in Amuri District, more especially on the worst infested portions. On St. Helen's Eun particularly good results are shown, and I do not think there are one-tliird of the rabbits there this season that there were last. The poisoning was well and carefully done, and has been fairly well followed up by shooting, dogging, ferreting, and trapping, with the above result. On Tarndale Eun, where it was poisoned, good work was done, and has been fairly well followed up during the summer. But there are large blocks of Crown land surrounding Mr. Adams's leaseholds (over portions of which his stock run and are mustered off), which are more or less infested with rabbits, and which he undertook to deal with, but neglected to do so, and when pressed refused to have anything further to do with the country, the consequence being that rabbits are in places numerous on these blocks. This unoccupied country will require attention this poisoning season. I think if it was well poisoned as early as possible in the spring, it would require very little work doing during the summer, as on these high blocks rabbits do not increase as fast as on the lower lands. I hardly think it is practicable to poison it this winter, as after May the country is liable to heavy snow, and is not safe to get about on. The Eainbow end of the run was not poisoned well last winter, and part not at all, and although a great many rabbits have been taken off during the summer, there are still too many about there. The result is that the rabbits