OUR SHEEP KINGS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2367, 18 October 1880, Page 3

OUR SHEEP KINGS.

The sheep returns for the year ending 31st May, 1879, contain some instructive information respecting the pastoral interests of the Colony. In the Waikato district Mr W. F. Peason, of Ranglan, possesses 12,000 sheep, and Mr E. B. Walker, of Cambridge, 5,750. In the Poverty Bay district Mr D. Doull is the principal sheep-owner, with 16,743 ;in Marsden the largest number is 680, on the run of Messrs Rye and Hull, at Otamatea. At the Bay of Islands, Mr J. M. Williams, of Parihaka, hes 6,550, and in the Bay of Plenty district Mr F. Swindley, of Whakatone, has 4,500. In Hawke’s Bay, Mr Douglas M'Lean, son of the late Sir Donald M'Lean, has 38,137 sheep ; Studholme Brothers. 38,324 ; and Rhodes and Co., 63,727. The largest flock in Wellington district does not exceed 7,000, the property of Mr John Davis, of Foxton. Aj. Rangitikei there are 14,000 on the es tnte of the late W. B. Rhodes. ThHon. John Martin has 25,000 at Haun e garoa,, while W. and H. Beetham have 46,098 on their run at Brancepeth. The largest flock in New Plymouth is 1,500. Major Atkinson has only 400 at Hulworth ; in Marlborough, Clifford and Weld have 60,707 in their Flaxbourne run, and there arc many other large flocks in the same Provincial district. The great wool kings are, however in Canterbury, where G. H. Moore of Glcnmark, has 90, ( '00 ; Ready-money Robinson of Cheviot Hills, 67,000 ; while flocks of 30,000 are numerous. The New Zealand and Australian Land Company have nearly 20,000 sheep at Pareora and the Levels. In Otago, Dalgety, Nichols and Co. have 135,593 sheep on one run at Molvern Hills The total number of sheep-owners in the Colony is 5,980, and the number of sheep 11,693,911.