LAMBING ESTIMATES FOR 1947

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 76, Issue 1, 15 January 1948, Page 82

LAMBING ESTIMATES FOR 1947

Record Percentage for Dominion

By

the Livestock Division

THE estimated lambing percentage of the Dominion for 1947 of 93.11 is the highest on record. This is an increase of .47 per cent, on the previous highest figure of 92.64 per cent., which was recorded for 1945. The percentage last year was 89.54. Though the North Island percentage has increased from 87.92 in 1946 to 92.47, it is still below that for 1945, when the estimate was 92.56. The low figure in 1946 was largely caused by the severe drought which affected many North Island sheep districts. The South Island figure of 93.94 per cent, is the highest since 1944, when the percentage was 94.07. i

"PELLETED" CLOVER SEEDS FOR SURFACE SOWING HILL COUNTRY

’TRIALS with white and subterranean clover seed -®- “pelleted” with clay, phosphate, and nitrogen in various proportions which will be ’ laid down this autumn are expected to . yield valuable information on the muchdesired improved “take” of surface-sown clovers on hill country. There is increasing recognition by farmers of the great importance of white and subterranean clover on much of the hill-country grassland of New Zealand, but , there are many areas where the broadcasting of the seed with or without fertiliser has given disappointing results. In the search for a method of ensuring that the seed will germinate and produce healthy plants, the method of pelleting, in which the seed will be sown already surrounded’ with the equivalent of the seed-bed it is obviously impossible to prepare in the normal way on hill country, has been suggested. This will simulate as closely as possible the practice of burying the seed in the ground, and may enable the rootlet on germination to penetrate the soil and survive more easily than is the case with broadcasting on hill country.

DISTRICT ESTIMATES.

Dominion Totals

County. Breeding Ewes (as at 1947). Estimated Percentage of Lambs. Estimated Number of Lambs. '1 ■ : ■ ■ Estimated Percentage of Lambs. Estimated Number of Lambs. AUCKLAND DISTRICT. Mangonui 34,473 77.6 26,751 Whangaroa .. 14,424 87.2 12,578 Bay of Islands 62,978 88.1 55,484 Hokianga .. .' 44,296 82.3 36,456 Whangarei 89,061 . 87.0 77,483 Otamatea .: 75,198 93.5 70,310 Hobson 78,949 89.9 70,975 Rodney ..; 89,024 85.8 76,383 Great Barrier ' 5,951 71.2 4,237 Waitemata . . 73,218 92.8 67,946 Eden .. ’ 2,398 97.9 2,348 Manukau 62,928 91.7 ' 57,705 Franklin 106,879 97.9 104,635 Coromandel 35,684 73.2 26,121 Thames .. 9,087 84.1 7,642 Hauraki Plains . .. 16,089 94.5 15,204 Ohinemuri . . 16,204 95.9 . 15,540 Waikato .. 154,390 . 99.8 . 154,081 Raglan 409,107 88.4 361,651 Waipa 188,469 96.5 181,873 Piako 133,499 103.6 138,305 Matamata 266,121. 101.4 269,847 Rotorua 88,232 96.2 84,879 Taupo 25,402 98.3 24,970 Taumarunui 106,576 93.5 99,649 Kawhia .. 69,657 90.9 63,318 Otorohanga 143,094 99.0 141,663 Waitomo .. 349,466 88.0 307,530 Ohura - .. 105,995 88.0 93,276 Kaitieke .. 67,458 94.0 63,411 Tauranga 137,600 95.0 130,720 Whakatane z .. 45,025 90.9 40,928 Opotiki 48,217 74.0 35,681 Totals .. 3,155,149 92.53 2,919,580

County. Breeding Ewes (as at 1947). Estimated Percentage of Lambs. Estimated ■ Number of Lambs. EAST COAST-IIAWKE’S BAY DISTRICT. Matakaoa 59,276 *89.7 53,171 Waiapu .. 233,231 84.0 195,914 Uawa ■ 118,621 89.0 105,573 Cook .. 425,708 93.0 395,908 Waikohu ... .. 339,157 84.0 284,892 Wairoa 408,278 88.0 359,285 Hawke’s Bay 931,291 87.4 813,948 Waipawa 407,815 95.1 387,832 Waipukurau 138,187 95.7 132,245 Patangata 487,888 92.2 449,833 Weber 53,148 93.4 49,640 Dannevirke 275,721 95.4 263,038 Woodville ■ 79,046 97.3 76,912 Pahiatua 155,445 91.3 141,921 Akitio 156,344 89.1 139,303 Totals .. 4,269,156 90.17 3,849,415 * Estimated from 1946 figure. WEST COAST-WELLINGTON DISTRICT. Clifton 81,955 93.6 76,710 Taranaki 27,394 99.7 27,312 Inglewood . . 45,473 95.3 43,336 Egmont . 17,924 99.7 17,870 Stratford .. .. ' 101,903 93.2 94,974 Whangamomona .. 53,065 84.5 44,840 Eltham ... 53,217 98.8 52,578 Hawera 69,707 100.2 69,846 Waimate West 4,214 100.1 4,218 Patea 199,254 99.7 198,656 Waitotara 130,032 94.0 122,230 Waimarino 163,009 85.0 138,558 Wanganui • 266,470 88.2 235,027 Rangitikei .. .. 957,092 97.0 928,379 Oroua .. 204,034 104.1 212,399 Kairanga 110,191 103.5 114,048 Kiwitea . 243,235 98.7 240,073 Pohangina 130,131 98.4 128,049 Manawatu . . 140,998 107.4 151,432 Horowhenua 114,433 95.6 109,398 Hutt 64,681 79.6 51,486 Makara .. 47,557 87.2 41,470 Featherston . 332,192 89.3 296,647 Wairarapa South .. 165,214 95.0 156,953 Masterton 273,229 91.5 250,005 Castlepoint 92,060 80.4 74,016 Eketahuna 133,015 90.9 120,911 Mauriceville .. 49,649 88.9 44,138 Totals .. 4,271,328 94.71 4,045,559

County. Breeding Ewes (as at 1947). Estimated Percentage of Lambs. Estimated Number of Lambs. MARLBOROUGH-NELSON-WESTLAND DISTRICT. Waimea 164,667 81.0 133,380 Takaka 28,193 78.0 21,991 Collingwood 14,180 80.0 11,344 Buller 1,474 ’ 87.0 1,282 Inangahua 13,595 95.7 13,010 Murchison - 27,131 100.0 27,131 Grey 23,085 111.7 25,786 Westland ... .. 34,361 113.5 39,000 Sounds 97,702 74.9 73,179 Marlborough 195,044 85.3 166,373 Awatere • 163,685 87.2 ‘ 142,733 Totals .. 763,117 85.86 655,209 CANTERBURY-KAIKOURA DISTRICT. Kaikoura .. ' 126,390 80.0 101,112 Amuri ..', 212,077 . 84.9 180,053 Cheviot 144,840 98.5 142,667 Waipara 286,277 97.1 ■ 277,975 Ashley 63,093 86.1 54,323 Kowai 71,190 97.2 69,197 Oxford 67,371 88.0 59,286 Rangiora 35,107 104.0 36,511 Eyre 51,601 99.0 51,085 Tawera .. .. 49,267 79.5 39,167 Malvern 124,076 . 89.0 110,428 Paparua 32,472 103.0 33,446 Waimairi 2,662 94.0 2,502 Heathcote .. 7,108 96.0 6,824 Akaroa 86,312 108.0 93,217 Mt. Herbert 35,863 101.0 36,222 Wairewa .. 70,126 107.0 75,035 Halswell .. .. 14,543 97.0 14,107 Springs 28,678 108.0 30,972 Ellesmere 71,285 104.0 74,136 Selwyn 140,967 83.5 117,707 Ashburton / .. 708,500 91.6 648,986 Geraldine 242,192 100.8 244,130 Levels .. . 170,966 108.4 185,327 Mackenzie 286,216 72.5 207,507 Waimate 467,820 86.9 406,536 Chatham Islands .. 46,878 73.0 34,221 Totals .. 3,643,877 . 91.46 3,332,679

Waitaki .. - .. 454,613 90.0 409,152 Maniototo 232,580 89.0 L 206,996 Vincent 236,332 97.0 229,242 Waihemo .. .. 102,118 89.0 90,885 Waikouaiti 73,475 84.0 61,719 Taieri 168,489 86.0 144,901 Peninsula .. /. 17,290 95.0 16,426 Clutha 416,945 ' 101.0 421,114 Tuapeka .. .. 336,620 89.0 299,592 Bruce 222,133 90.0 199,920 Lake .. 112,607 80.0 90,086 Southland .. 1,705,708 107.0 1,825,108 Wallace 558,789 92.0 514,086 Stewart Island 2,320 80.0 1,856 Totals .. . 4,640,019 97.22 4,511,083 ;

OTAGO-SOUTHLAND DISTRICT.

District. Breeding Ewes . (as at 1947). Estimated Percentage of Lambs. Estimated • Number of Lambs. Auckland .. 3,155,149 92.53 2,919,580 East Coast-Hawke’s i Bay 4,269,156 90.17 3,849,415 West Coast-Welling-ton 4,271,328 94.71 4,045,559 Marlborough-Nelson-Westland 763,117 85.86 655,209 Canterbury-Kaikoura 3,643,877 91.46 3,332,679 Otago-Southland .. 4,640,019 97.22 4,511,083 Dominion 20,742,646 • 93.11 19,313,525

The following table gives the estimates of the current (1947) season’s lambing for each sheep district:-

Year. Number of Breeding Ewes (*as at 1941). (fas at 1945). Estimated Percentage of Lambs. Estimated Number of Lambs. Actual No. of Lambs Tailed. NORTH ISLAND. 1947 .. 11,695,633 92.47 10,814,554 — 1946 .. ■ 111,890,011 87.92 10,453,719 10,447,857 1945 .. 11,890,011 92.56 11,004,903 . 11,252,679 1944 .. 11,740,920 90.08 10,576,495 11,054,223 1943 .. *11,268,384 87.18 9,823,748 10,654,244 1942 .. *11,268,384 89.95 10,134,505 10,801,599 SOUTH ISLAND. 1947 .. 9,047,013 93.94 8,498,971 — 1946 .. 975,847 91.69 8,229,713 8,194,441 1945 .. 8,975,847 92.75 8,324,990 8,308,779 1944 . . 8,808,796 94.07 8,286,568 8,399,083 1943 ... *8,762,549 89.16 7,813,548 7,767,692 1942 .. *8,762,549 93.34 8,179,674 8,063,293 DOMINION. 1947 .. 20,742,646 93.11 19,313,525 ■ — . 1946 .. 120,865,858 89.54 18,683,432 18,642,298 1945 .. 20,865,858 92.64 19,329,893 19,561,458 1944 .. 20,549,716 91.79 18,863,063 19,453,306 1943 .. *20,030,933 88.05 17,637,296 18,421,936 1942 .. *20,030,933 91.43 18,314,179 18,864,892

The following table shows the estimated lambing for the North and South Islands for the previous five years together with the actual number of lambs tailed:-