The Press FRIDAY, JULY 5, 1918. The Sheep Returns.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16256, 5 July 1918, Page 6

The Press FRIDAY, JULY 5, 1918. The Sheep Returns.

The' interim return of- sheep stocks in the ' Dominion, based A upon the information• supplied by owners on April 30th Inst, shows the satisfactory increase of 1,684,208. This is the largest accession to the flocks recorded since the frozen meat trade was fully developed in all parts of the Dominion. The increase is due to the fact that there was a good lambing last season, that more ewe lambs have been retained for breeding purposes during the last two years, and that there was a reduced slaughter l , especially of lambs this season. A feature of this year's return is the large increase shown in the South Island, as compared with the North Island, thus reversing the position that has been the rule for some years past. The Auckland district Bhows a decrease of 14,550, due no doubt to the very wet seasons experienced all through last year. There was an increase of 71,652 in the Napier-Gisborne district, and 60,041 in the Wellington West Coast district, giving a net increase for the North Island of 107,043. The Marlborough-Nelson-Westland district made an increase of 37,531, Can-terbury-Kaikoura 612,113, and Otago and Southland 327,521, or a total increase for the South Island of 977,165. The actual increase for the Dominion, however, really represents little more than the increase there probably was in last season's lamb crop. In 1916 12,892,767 ewes were bred from, and produced 10,733,579 lambs, or 83J per cent. In 1917 the number of breeding ewes was set down as 13,260,169, and the estimated lamb crop was 11,611,342, or 87j per cent. The actual number of lambs tailed last year has not yet been published. The prospects in favour of a further increase during the current year in the number of sheep appear to be good, but may be seriously discounted by the snowstorm of this week in the South Island. There were probably still more ewes used for breeding purposes this year, and there is every probability of the slaughterings, especially of lambs, being less during the ensuing season.

. , At the time of writing, it is impos1. aible to give any idea of the probable a losses of sheep on the hill stations in fc. " ■ ■

th 3 South Island through .the snowstorm. Tho storm did not come altogether from the south-west, as such storms usually do, and this explains why North Otago and the Mackenzie Country have experienced comparatively light falls. Coming more from the north-west, Canterbury suffered severely, and probably the Marlborough and Nelson high country stations are as badly affected. The fact that there were between three and four feet along the foot of the range in Canterbury gives an idea of what must be the conditions on the higher country, and as the snow continued for several days, there must be a record depth over a large portion of tlio high sheep country. Tho only possible means of salvation for tho sheep is a rapid thaw, but as tho weather has cleared up bright and fine, the prospects are in favour of hard frosts. Not since 1909 has there been such a severe snow storm in New Zealand, and, fortunately for tho older station owners, they have had a long run of good seasons since. The newer holders, especially those on the runs that have been subdivided of late years will probably experience <7 severe setback, but this has to be looked for on snow country, though the infrequency of severo storms is apt to make some people overlook this fact. To go back for only a comparatively short period, there were severe snowstorms in 1893, 1895, 1903, and 1909, and now that we I have another in 1918, it shows that they averago ono in five years. It is fortunate that the South Island has shown an increase in the number of sheep this year, as this will bo a set off against the losses that must take place. There is a good deal of speculation as to whether the crossbred sheep that are now in suoh numbers on the back country will stand the snow as woll as merinos and halfbreds, as this is tho severest test they have had in Canterbury.