C —12b.

4

.Vo. 77; Richmond; 87,000 Acres (including 30,000 Acres of Waste Land): Carries 16,000 Sheep. Although this run includes a considerable area of well-grassed country, it is notorious for its liability to snoxv losses, and for the difficulties xvhich it presents to the removal of stock in case of bad weather. In 1 < v O.l the existing tenant turned out over 20,000 sheep in the autumn, and mustered less than 300 in the following spring; and this is only one of a number of instances in xvhich severe losses have been sustained. The run consists chiefly of southerly slopes, not steep enough to carry off snow, xvhile there is practically no safe country- on it. It could be cut into two without trouble, and xvith little expense, in which event the State would possess txvo unsafe runs, each capable of carrying 8,000 sheep, instead of one unsafe run carrying double that number. This run carries ewes, and in average seasons maintains its flock without the purchase of sheep. No. 78; Lily bank; 70,000 Acres (including 50,000 Acres of Waste Country): Carries 6,500 Sheep. This run is small enough already. In addition, owing to its roughness and the paucity of its xvinter country, it is incapable of subdivision. Though not as dangerous as Richmond, it is a poor breeding-run, owing to its being so close to the main range, and subject to the north-west blasts. No. 80; T/ie Mistake; 62,000 Acres (including 30,000 Acres of Waste Country): Carries 10,000 Sheep. This run consists almost entirely of extremely high and broken country. Though not quite so unsafe as Lilybank, it is a run on which the lambings are never large. We cannot, on the whole, recommend any form of subdivision. No 79; Glenmore; 53,000 Acres (including 13,000 Acres of Waste Country}. This run is at present being worked in conjuntcion xvith Balmoral and Braemar; but we judge it capable of carrying about 13,000 sheep. If it were left intact, it would remain a safe run, xvith the proportions of winter and summer country fairly equally distributed. It could be cut into two without any trouble, but, owing to its being a long narrow block, it xvould have to be subdivided latitudinally. This xvould leave the top end a safe and in every respect a desirable run, but the bottom end with no winter country beyond a little on the upper end of Mount John. As a whole, it is admirable breeding-country. No. 81; Part of Balmoral.- 29,000 Acres. No. 82; Part of Balmoral; j.0,000 Acres. At present these blocks are being xvorked as a whole in conjunction with Glenmore and Braemar. We estimate the total carrying-capacity of the two at from 13,000 to 14,000 sheep, including sufficient breeding-ewes to maintain the flocks in average seasons. They consist chiefly of dangerous down country, and high table-lands, on which it is not easy to save stock in the event of snow. At the bottom end of No. 81 there is a piece of fairly safe winter country on the Old Man Range, near the homestead; but this area is altogether insufficient in a severe winter to save the flock xvhich this particular run xvould carry. On the top end of No. 82 there are some good winter facings on the Jollie River As the two runs stand noxv, it is inadvisable to further subdivide them. No. 82 should be left as it is, and No. 81, which is not a safe run, might be improved by the addition of a small portion of the loxver end of Glenmore, including Mount John, in which case the balance of Glenmore should remain in one block. An alternative proposal is that the Government should purchase the adjoining freehold of Braemar, noxv being utilized as the xvinter country of Balmoral. If this xvere done, Nos. 81 and 82, w-ith Braemar, could be cut up into four or five safe runs. No. 83; Mount Cook; 25,000 Acres (15,000 Acres Waste Country): Carries about 6,000 Sheep. This run is sufficiently small already, and in any case could not be easily divided, owing to its height and steepness. Moreover, it is far removed from the entrance to the Mackenzie Basin. It is good breeding-country, and, except after severe snowstorms, its flock has been maintained at its average level without the purchase of sheep. It has been in the occupation of the present lessee and his father for some forty years, and much of the success achieved by them on this run must be attributed to clever and careful management. No. 89; Glentanner; 58,000 Acres (32,000 Acres Waste Country): Carries about 9,000 Sheep. This run is also one of the furthest-away from the entrance to the Mackenzie Basin. The greater part of it has a northerly aspect, and, comparatively speaking, it is a safe run. It is good breeding-country, and, except in particularly unfavourable seasons, its lessees have had no difficulty in maintaining their flocks, though heavy losses are not unknown here. Oxving to the high broken nature of its back country, subdivision xvould not be an easy matter, and if t were in txvo blocks it would be rather difficult to keep the flocks apart, The adjoining run (Birch Hill) xx'ould be greatly improved by the addition of a portion (say, the txvo top spurs) of the upper end of Glentanner, and Glentanner xvould then be left xvith a capacity of about 6,000 sheep. If the Government approved of this suggestion, it might, in exchange for the part of Glentanner indicated, resume the Mount Cook spur of Birch Hill, which it might care to utilize for acclimatization purposes.