POVERTY BAY FLOCKS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2560, 22 July 1909, Page 5

POVERTY BAY FLOCKS.

NEARLY TWO MILLION SHEEP.

LAST YEAR’S INCREASE 72,484.

The Stock Department yesterday completed the compilation of the annual sheep returns for the Poverty Bay district to the end of 1909, and the figures supplied show that there were nearly 2,000.000 sheep in the Counties of Cook, Waikobu, and Waiapu. The Napicr-Gisborne district, possessing Hocks totalling 5,578,074, stands for the first time in the annals of the Dominion as the largest sheepraising district in New Zealand. Napier and Gisborne last year yielded an. increase of 131,313 sheep, of yvhich. Gisborne district was responsible for no less than 72,484. The figures, which were. supplied to a “Times” reporter by -Mi;. "Walter Miller, Inspector in charge of the local office of the Agricultural Department, are: — Sheep. Cook 963,553 ' Waikohu ... ... 438,708 Waiapu ... ... 588,223' Total' ... 1,990,484 Mr. Miler said that the increase for the previous year was 209,693, but suggested that the phenomenal number of carcases exported was responsible for tbe difference in the returns. for the two years; while a large number of breeding ewes had also been exported to Canterbury and other districts. The enormous development of the district’s fat lamb trade, he added, threatened to cause a recurrence of the position which a few years ago arose in Canterbury, when the high prices obtaining for fat lambs caused a serious depletion of their flocks, so serious in fact that legislative action to prevent the killing of ewe lambs was suggested. Tbe establishment of freezing works at Tokomaru Bay would, furthermore,, tend to augment this danger, since the settlers of Waiapu would almost certainly participate in this profitable branch of the industry, the export of frozen lamb.

STOCK SLAUGHTERED. Tbe Departmental returns of the stock slaughtered during the year ar* as follows: SHEEP AND LAMBS. Station killed ... 32,819 Local consumption ... 144,375 Frozen for export ... 614,445 Boiled down ... 13,096 Preserved ... ... 4,575 Total .... ... 809,310 CATTLE AND CALVES. Frozen for export ... 10,937 Station killed ... 747 Local consumption ... 2,747 Preserved ... ... 284 Boiled down ... ... 363 Total 15,080