MUTTON FOR EUROPE.

Patea Mail, 19 March 1881, Page 4

MUTTON FOR EUROPE.

To the question of whether New Zealand, after providing for borne consumption, would have mutton to spare for export to warrant shipowners in providing vessels with freezing apparatus, the Hon. Mr Holmes lias replied by furnishing a statement of the number of sheep at present in the colony, the rate of increase in the past, and the pasture available. The Otago Times, basing an article on Mr Holmes’s estimates, says ; —Take New Zealand all over, wo shall be able to spare a million sheep a year for export. This represents no less than 50,000 tons of space at the low estimate of 20 sheep to the ton of 40 cubic feet. Will our readers endeavour to grasp the idea of what a trade such as this really means? It would require two steamers a month, each carrying 2000 tons, to overtake it, and we question if anj 7 steamers afloat could be so fitted as to carry anything like 2000 tons of meat. But even this leaves out of the calculation beef and butter. That we should have some beef, we think, will be evident, when we point out that the number of cattle in New Zealand increased from 494,113 bead in 1874, to 578,430 in 1878, and in all probability exceeds 650,000 new ; while in the production of butter there is wide scope for increase if there was only a steady maiket, as we have both the right class of cattle and the most superb pastures.