THE WORLD'S SHEEP.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 217, 19 October 1909, Page 4

THE WORLD'S SHEEP.

The latent figures relating to the number of Jieep ill the world, us furnished by Dalgel.v's Annual Weed Review, have a very important bearing on the future of Ine wool industry and the frozen meat trade in Xew Zealand 'l'hev show that since ISOS the sheep Hocks'of the world have decreased by :«»,(17i1,007, while tile wool-using population has increased by 87.r>.-..-),273. It may also be mentioned that a very large percentage of this increase in population is represented by people who are consumers of mutton and lamb as well as users ot wool. The following table gives the increase or decrease of sheep in the various con itries of the world: IS!).!. Latest date Kitropc (including Asiatic Russia) 105,1!14.214 177,330,008 Australasia .. 110.510,331 100.345,9 ii" South America.. '102.847,134 1)1,187,01,'! Xorth America* 57,158,052 50.252.721 Africa .. .. 31,81)0,052 27.704.41)2 Asia .. .. 21.037,752 18,00337 "The total for Xorth America includes Canada, Mexico, Newfoundland, as well as the United States.

The latest sheep'returns for New Zealand show that our flocks are steadily increasing in spite of the fact that we have been exporting from 5.000.000 to 0,000,000 carcases of mutton and lamn yearly, besides killing an average of about 2,500,000 for local consumption. In 1005 the total number of sheep in the Dominion was 10.130,875; in 1007 th.. number was 20.083,772; in 1!)|)8 the number was 22,440.053; and after the present season's lambing it should be over 23,000.000. According to Government statistics for IOOS there were 11,032.201 sheep in the North Island and 10,810,852 in the Smith Maud: th< t increase for file year being for the North Island 700.114, and f,,,. the' South Island 738JKIS