THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1909. SHEEP RETURNS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9622, 15 October 1909, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1909. SHEEP RETURNS.

• A considerable amount of valuable information to those engaged in the principal pastoral industry in the Dominion is contained in the annual sheep returns for New Zealand for the year ended April 30th last. It is shown that during the year the number of owners of sheep in the Dominion increased from 20,6.93 to 21,858, and the number . of sheep from 22 449,053 to 23.48 C.707. These figures show that in spite of the heavy drain upon the flocks in the Dominion for the frozen meat trade, the sheep stocks can not only be maintained but actually increased. There are 6,802 owners of 1 to 200 sheep, 5,587 of 201 to 500; 4,219 of 501 to'l.OOu; 3.391 of 1,001 to 2.500; 1,044 of 2,501 to 5,000; 344 r.f 5,001 to 7,500; 166 of 7.501 to 10,000; 227 of 10,001 to 20,000; and 78 of over 20,000. Even allowing that it only requires a flock of 10,000 sheep to constitute the owner as a pastoral monarch, there are only 305 "wool kings" in New Zealand. The increase in the numbers of sheep in the Dominion has been almost equal in both the North and South Islands, The extension of the dairy industry has no noubt checked the more rapid inI cre2se that has been going on in the North Island for some years. The North Island has, however, 12,193,211 sheep, as against 11,287,496 in the South Island. The increases are well distributed, and in only six counties in the South Island and fourteen counties in the North Island are de-. creases shown. The principal decrease ' shown in the North Island is in Waipawa County, but this is apparently through the formation of new counties and not frcm an actual reduction in numbers of sheep. In the South Island, the Sounds (Marlborough) with a decrease of 61,860 and Kaikoura with a shortage of 16.513, do not appear to be holding their own. The re Juction in numbers of 9,688 in the Mackenzie Country may be attributed chiefly to losses in snow in the winter of 1908. The following table

shows tne nu nb.-r of ntui sheep and flock rams of different breeds:— ' N. Island. S. Island Merinos 9,487 41,392 Lincolns 1n6,u53 irf,s 0 . Komneys 158,741 R9.691 Border Leicesters 18,004 81,883 English leicesters 22,352 SI.OSC ! Shropshire. 11,735 2n,«U6 Soutndowus 16,081 5.902 Other breeds 6,686 33,4*53 i Totals 349,139 310,718 It will be seen that Romneys are by far the most numerous breed of stud sheep in the Dominion. Another point that is worthy of notice is the large increase of Southdowns in Ihe North Island, and the comparat i vely small number in th; South I*l ■ rid. The numbers of flojk sheep are : North Island: Cross red and other longwools, 11,789,851; merinos, 54.221. South Island: Crossbreds and other longwools, 9,132,194: merinos, 1,814,584. Another return, showing the number of sheep of different sexes is also interesting It is as fjllows-Stud ra-iH, 10.060"; Flock rams, 282,858; wethers. 3,427,994; breeding ewes, 12,870,346; dry ewes, 1,015,259; hrabs, 6,308,190. The number of breeding ewes is a record for New Zealand, being j over one million more than last ! year, and as the lambing throughout the Dominion is so far highly satisfactory, there is every probability of a still further increase in the sheep stocks during the current year. The number of wethers shows only a slight increase over those of the previou.3 year, and lambs and dry ewes are slightly less in numbers. With such an excellent season for feed there will not only be an increased wool clip, but a largei number of lambs avaijable t'jr export than in any previous yjar.