NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2214, 29 July 1914, Page 10

NEWS AND NOTES.

ig FLOCKS &M '.Qv/^iii'jii'iip.^ ]'■ 1 ! QIULITY&-FUtURE PROSPECTS ';:';.•!:. "The present position regarding live J'-'stock in the Dominion must be looked 'if;. . ' - upon as being distinctly satisfactory, ;'.';:. but it must be realised that there is still ' V. rooni as regards >■; . tho' quantity of .stock kept,- and ' for -::;:, , improvements.as. regards their quality , v and prblit-earning capacity," said Dr. ■■';•■■'-•: "C. J.'.EeakeSj.-of• tho-Dopartment of ' Agriculture, when, addressing tho A. - ■* and Pi- Societies'. Conference yesterday.' ■'■ Proceeding, he said:":'' For tho year '■'': .-■ .":.?-' ended' April : 30,' 1913, :tho ! total mini-, bcr of sheep in tho Dominion was returned"''at ■'24,191,810.; On April 30, .1914, tho interims return shows a total ■...",'. of 24,596,405, an increase of 403,595. '■■'■ The. noti.yet.fully/avail-, 'i " able, wili show a still further increase 8"-- This is'-satisfactory,' especially when p. ..,■'. the increased/export . of-inuttpn and ii lamb combined during : the* two years is \k realised. For tho.year ended Septempfl; .. ber 30, .1912, the increase-over-the pre- ?.'■■' " vious'twelve months in- thenumber of L». '."•■ carcasses of mutton exported was fy, 354,704. For thefyearended. September- .;'«' 30, 1913, a decrease from the preceding : :.i-. .' twelve of 27,641~ carcasses was u' j shown, but for the nine months ended Ni_ June 30,'. 1914, an increase of, 194,761 [-J .carcasses over the corresponding nine 'ft. ■ months of the previous 'year was shown. </;. .In the7case'df Taihb 1911-12 Ijv ' showqd,,a.small J decrease,;„yjz.i...42,6o4,, ? ; ..-:. but 1912-13 showed an of ; 308,671 over the previous year, and i'J.':.. ' the nino-months ended June -30, 1914,'. iyy ■ •■'-showed' ail''.lncfoa'se'of 253,'457carcases ;. ■■ y over, the corresponding nine months of 1.-"':-'--"', the-: previous year. _ Wool in 1911-12 i showed an'inorease in the quantity 'ex- '.:'■ - yyipbrted"oX'"4 ) 699 ) s74lb:'"'-.' In 1912-13"n ?•. further increase over the previous year. >1 : '.'■; of 5,584,8731b. was exported,"and;tho 'f - nino.nionthsended! June'3o; 1914, show •S ;(' tin. increase of 2,835,5981b.; over Jne cor- !§■'■ .' responding --nine months* of', the- pfeced-' !'j.'-.'' ing year;: ' t ;.-.-;™ y.:,-;.:."..,;;". • z-,-: ?';:• '.'■■' ."All'these figure's : go;tq-iudicate'that' i';.'.. our. flo6k3^re. J liolding*4lieir,."own niiy."■.*' merically vmder present;'farmuigcoudi-' j;. . . .•lions. 1 -''" 'Oi! r the' t oth r er hand, 1 more land,. yi'-: ■ hitherto unoccupied, is every, year com- > ;t'j ■ .■■.-.' ing into occupation, in -the North 'Island. •:'j ?. 'A,lso' the area devoted to grain-growing y ,'.'■; is decreasing, and much of /the land not y ,■.-...' now utilised- for that purjwse is devoted ii.fy.-:'.'■'"to is' necessary that. ■ ;' ■:'■'■ nn incre"aseVin-the';.ljuraber':pf '*■..' '-. : '* should ; 'bti''a_;fact';-ifythe position''■'.is.' , ':to* h ' .'.. bo maintaine^on'a'proper;basis',--even- ■ ;". when ■ allowance is made for i further' -'. develo'pnient" of dairying;'." But'iibt only J;". «-is it necessary that the flocks be'main-, 7•.;' •:' ytained~at 'a-proper strength as regards. "v numbers, but.'aJso. tha"£'\ th : e! r sheep' .'bo '■'-.. ikspt up.'.tp-:'a v 'good'sta'nda'i-'dMyqu;ality; ; y\ .: Oii.large.,sheej)vStatiqns there.is little ; ~-'. fear on;tnis ac«)unty/b'ut:witii the stead : !;-.• iiy increasing.number.bf-.sraalLholdiiigs ' .' V- there-,is "an:appfe'ciable>iisk":of .'inferior: !' , :V bieediiig"'StocK Jieingfkept. :_ T There-;aro : : '■'. -,■;' '• nt presdnt '-more /inferior-ewes'-in -tho y ■-■'.. Dominion.than.should-bVtliocase.' One ;..-./.- ''-'■"-point which must never be lost sight y?', i , : of is the..necessity, of keeping I' numbers o^ ; 'brMding; , .ewes.y'There''isy !•;■-.•■ '•■.' a ,'gbbd' !.; - ..; export "markot'' nfay 1 ' temp't^flbckowiiers' i■.'■;'•; ;-y.':to.-part with moro. goqd_e.w,es..and cwc„ j■■ "•-"lambs than.can be'.s'p'ared::' r •'• "'•-.' i •■'■.'.'" ,: "The expansion of tlie dairy industry y has resulted in dairy stock now holding !;-•' -■', the , foremost place'among New Zeak...'■ .land 'catt]e,-''Bind' the'; development', 'of [":''■;■.:. this industry"has>,!naturajly -been ,of■ i'■•'■.-■ > ! ./' last e'numei'at'io'u.of cattle ivas'.made in 1 v,.. ':".?'•,- -..- "LUII. i .numbery - ''"fcicn ;"*was (■■:■'! .'. of .-wliich-yiiO'-fewer-ythan [y'i.. : ''. 1503,978 consisted of .dairj'Ccbwa or.'in- !-.' .;/!■-'■ calf heifers intended for dating. ,;.If, '};>'-_;".-.- dairy bulls'and younger heifers of dairy--(,V r p .■/■ lug breeds added .to this,'it will ;be i',;'; -. seen "jthaV;"i;lairj ; '-'stock 1 "then. predomiii{■j . -." • atcd in^'nimb'er,'.'aiid''it:isVto be expectr fj: . :..'■.'. od tbat'.this.pj'edominance. will be found l ! - more pronbunced when jthc next enum- - "oration is made in 1916. And .a good y ; , •-.:■-■■ proportion of steers .utilised for' beef ''•";;"'■.--.'.' production have more'or less of a [ ••;. dairying strain in', them, As; a result,j i really first-class'prime beef is becomiug | - -relatively- ;more .scarce. : At the same :• time 'a.'sobd'anU prbfitabie!export trade -.. in wh'at'.'m'ayybeytermed. second-class' ;; V" beef, principally .deriv-ed from!..dairy catL tie.' is,-iyell::establishedj and; has every j ■;-,'-. prospect'of continuing and expanding.'y