SHEEP RETURNS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 14 July 1916, Page 3

SHEEP RETURNS.

HEAVY SOUTH ISLAND DECREASE SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE OF CATTLE. WELLINGTON, July 12. The serious effect of the drought in the South Island is shown in the sheep returns for the year. The total number of sheep on April 30 was 24,607,868, being a decrease of 293 - 553 compared with the previous year. The flocks are distributed as follows: District. Number. Increase. Auckland .... 1,836,412 1 55,920 Wellington and , West Coast. . 6,763,094 876,527 Marlborough, Nelson. and Westland 1,361,590 17,320 Decrease. Napier and Gisborne 5,087,196 661,661 Canterbury and Kaikoura .... 4,792,316 620,06 Otago ........ 4,767,260 61,593^ Increase, North Island .. 370,786 decrease, South Island . . 664,338 In reply to suggestions that the sheep statistics were misleading, owing to being taken at the wrong time of year, the Minister of Agriculturepointed out that the same period has been taken for the past quarter of a century. He added that the drought in Canterbury and in certain portions of the North Island had largely afi fected the returns, but he would look into the state of affairs with a view of altering the date if another date was found to be more suitable. Discussing the situation as regarding the number of cattle in the Dominion, the Hon. Mr. MacDonald said he understood that since the last census of cattle there had been an increase of over 200,000 .according to the returns already in, and he expected when the returns were completed it would be found that since the last cattle census, four years ago. there had been an increase of something like 300,000.