SHEEP IN NEW ZEALAND.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2000, 27 May 1885, Page 2

SHEEP IN NEW ZEALAND.

The returns of the number of sheep in the eolony in the month of May, 1884, have recently be summarised in preparation for the annual volumn of statistics issued by the Registrar-General, The following are the figures, with contrast of the total s of 1883 : Class 1884 1883 Merino sheep ... 7,465,782 7,315,232 Lqngwoolsheep... 1,214,741 1,201,730 Crossbred sJveep... 5,297,997 4,789,358

Total ... 13,978,520 13,3,00,329 For May, 1882, the total number was 12,500,597, sq that the present total shows an Inorease of 072,191 sinoo the previous year, and of 1,477,923 during the two years.

For some inscrutable reason, the annu.il return which gives the above information, does not extend to Stewart's Island, nor to the Chatham and other adjacent islands, in which places the number of sheep is only ascertained on the occasion of a census, At the time of the last census, in 1881, the total number of sheep in those islands was 77,746, which has, in all probability, been since considerably augmented, Taking those figures, however, without increase, we get a total for the colony of 14,056,266.

It is gratifying \% find that our flocks exhibit a very steady rate of increase, notwithstandingthegrowingconsumption,and the inroads of, the frozen meat trade. It will be noticed tluit tl)e increase in the cage qf crossbred sheep is much larger (jhan that qf tho merinos, the former representjng flyer §09,000 quj; qf the total jncretp qf f 0,000, a fact which 'jp probably attributable fcq th,e superiqr value of crossbred sheep for the purposes of freezing. We nyust ad/J that the interest of these returns would b'e enhanced, Jf they could be made public in something less than a twelvemonth from the time at which they are' ta|en.-N.Z, Trade Review.