THE SHEEP RETURNS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10140, 10 December 1910, Page 4

THE SHEEP RETURNS.

The sheep returns for i he year ended April BOth last, which have just been issued as a Parliamentary paper, show that there has been a decrease of 336 in the number of owners within the Dominion during the twelve months. The figures for 1908-9 were 21,858 owners and 23,480,707 sheep, arid those for 1909-10 are 21,522 owners and 24,209,620 sheep. It is rath. eT curious that while the larger increase in the number of sheep lias taken place in the North Island, the larger decrease in the number of owners, also has; occurred in this part» of the Dominion.:. The figures for the two islands are worth quoting:—

North , South Island. Island. j Owners, 1908-9 9,809 12,049 I Owners, 1909-10 9,614 11,908 ' Sheep, 1908-9 12,193,211 11,287,496 Sheep,l9o9-10 12,917,662 11,351,958 Decrease in owners 195 141 Increase in sheep 724,451' 64,462 The decrease in the number of owners seems to be due to a large proportion of the "small men" disposing of their nocks. In 1908-9 there were 6802 farmers owning between one and 200 sheep, 2880 in the North Island and 3922 in the South Island. The decrease in the South Island appears to have taken place only in the very small flocks, those under 300 sheep, but the decrease in the North Island extends to flocks of 700 or 800, probably one of the results of the profitable development of the dairy industry. The number of large flocks, those , over 10,000 sheep, have slightly increased, hut there is nothing very significant in the figures. j