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Southland Times, Issue 1092, 18 January 1869, Page 2

It is very gratifying to be enabled to state amidst the general dullness pervading all clas&es, that the Province is making slow but sure steps towards permanent wealth. Although trade is depressed, and the revenue has fallen off, yet there is evidence of better times coming. There are sure and unmistakable signs that with the increase of sheep, &c, will be introduced the means of finding a profitable market for the surplus stock. In Victoria the squatters have found a profitable outlet for their abundant flocks. Large orders have been received from England for Australian preserved meat, and there will always be an inexhaustable demand for tbe beef and mutton of the colonies, now that it is beyond doubt that the meat preserving process has proved a success. New Zealand is gifted with great natural resources, capable of maintaining and rearing sheep to a greater extent than Australia, and must with ordinary prudence ultimately assume her position as a meat exporting country. It only requires a little of the energy of our Victorian fellow colonists to open up a most lucerative trade with England. Surely, with the evidence before us of the steady increase of the flocks ot the Southland runholders, and the absence of disease, there are more than ordinary inducements held out for the formation of a local company which would be prepared to follow the good example set by our Victorian neighbors, and utilise the surplus stock of the Province by preserving it, and sending it home. The following report from the Chief Inspector of Sheep for the Province of Southland, will be read with interest :— Sheep Department, Invercargill, January 14th, 1869. His Honor the Superintendent, Sir — I have the honor to forward for your information, a certified copy of the whole of the returns of sheep within the Province of Southland, as forwarded to this department, for the year ended 30th September, 1868. The gross total is 483,677, showing an increase upon last years' returns of 49,300, about 7,000 more arrived after September, and consequently were not included in the returns ; taking the late seasons' increase into consideration, and after making due allowance for casualties up to weaning time, we may calculate upon having, in May next, considerably over half a million of sheep within the Province. During my late visits into the interior, I made careful inspections of the whole of the sheep upon the late diseased stations, and am gratified to be in a position to inform your Honor that I have returned a clean bill of health for the entire Province, and beg to congratulate the runholders and sheep farmers upon the fact of the Province being now free from scab, for I firmly believe the risk of any diseased stragglers, or hermit sheep, appearing amongst the II OW clean sheep is at an end ; however, the strict inusterings made after the general shearing, for unshorn sheep, will quite decide the matter. I regret that I cannot report this seasons' lambing as a good one, the weather at the time being anything but propitious, and I am afraid that at weaning time the average per centage of lambs will not come up to former years. Grass is abundant, and the stock are now looking well, making due allowance for the temporary drawback they sustain during shearing operations, which are now in full force. Some of our runholders this season have gone to great trouble and expense in erecting washes upon new principles, and on the whole greater attention is being paid this shearing, not only to the washing, but also to the proper classing of the wools, so much so that the seasons' clip from this Province will command its due share of notice in the home markets, some of it being got up in really first-class style. During the past year I have passed over the borders, into Southland, over 40,000 sheep, and by sea, 1,400, those by land comprise some very fine young breeding sheep, The importations by sea include some first-class stock of both sexes for stud purposes, viz., two lots ot Kermode's Tasmanian Merino rams, one lot of fine rams introduced by Messrs Lowe and M' Grigor (of Burwood), chosen from Skene's and M'Ersey's flocks, in the western district of Victoria, and a really first-class lot of ewts and rams, brought over by Geo. "Webster, Esq., (Benmore), selected from Curries and Cummings' fine flocks in Victoria. Mr Kick's fine rams, " Old Perfection," and " Young Perfection," are now in this Province, purchased by F. "Went- , worth, Esq., of Wantwood. A few good long- wool, were also introduced by F. Wenthworth, Esq., Wantwood ; K. Hamilton, Esq., Morton Mains; and Mr Davidson, Mataura. Agriculturists here who are about turn

ing their attention to sheep farming in in paddocks, can now be supplied with good choice stock, and I believe at reason* able rates. There are two classes of sheep I should like to see introduced among them, viz : — Coltswold's and Bomney marsh sheep. I feel convinced from actual observation that they are well adapted for the low lying lands of the Province, yield a large return of wool, and produce a fine carcass at an early age, are of a strong constitution, and not subject readily to foot-rot or scalds. I feel satisfied that well selected in the first instance, and properly cared for afterwards, they would prove their value to the farmer in a very short time. Koinney marsh sheep can, I believe, be procured from Mr Ludlam, of the Hutt Valley, Wellington. — I have, the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant, Henery Fielder. Chief Sheep Inspector, Southland.