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1905 NEW ZEALAND.

INTERIM RETURN OF SHEEP IN THE COLONY ON THE 30th APRIL, 1905.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

Department of Agriculture, SlK >— Wellington, Bth July, 1905. I have the honour to furnish a statement of the approximate number of sheep in the colony on the 30th April, 1905. I have, Ac, John I). Ritchie, The Hon. the Minister for Agriculture. Chief Inspector of Stock.

Approximate Number of Sheep in the Colony on the 30th April, 1905.

The increase may be accounted for as follows :— 1. There were about 150,000 more ewes put to the ram during the season 1904 2. The lambing was above the average. 3. The export, of mutton and lamb decreased by 668,749 carcases According to the agricultural and pastoral statistics for 1904-5, cattle showed a further increase of 143,303. It is confidentally anticipated that the flocks will continue to show a steady increase as farmers are now realising the necessity for holding back a proportion of ewe lambs for breeding purposes. &

Number of Sheep. Diatrict. Increase. Decrease. 1904.* 1905. Auckland 685,799 619,390 66,409 Napier4,482,877 4,601,429 118,552 Wellington-West Coast ... 4,035,287 4,172,849 137,562 Marlborough-Nelson 937,488 947,273 9,785 Canterbury-Kaikoura 4,778,612 5,240,144 461,532 Otago ... ... j 3,360,743 3,540,839 180,096 Total 18,280,806 19,121,924 907,527 66,409 Increase, North Island 189,705 Increase, South Island 651,413 Total increase 84], 118 * Complete returns.