557

IMPOUNDED on the ninth day of December, 1863, by Constable Peter M’Mahon, One Bay Mare, branded (IR conjoined) on near shoulder, star on forehead, owner unknown, for trespassing on Queen-street, Dunedin; for which £3 is claimed for damages, and in default of being released, the above Mare will be sold at the Public Pound at North Dunedin, on the 31st day of December, 1863, at 12 o’clock noon.

JAMES TURNER,
Poundkeeper at the North Dunedin Pound.

IMPOUNDED on the ninth day of December, 1863, by Mr. A. Monteith, Kaurau Station, Waitaki, One Dark Brown Gelding, branded RG near shoulder, and C on off shoulder, owner unknown, for trespassing on the above run; for which £3 is claimed for damages, and in default of being released, the above gelding will be sold at the Public Pound at Oamaru, on the 31st day of December, 1863, at 12 o’clock noon.

ALFRED BRANDT,
Poundkeeper of the Oamaru Pound.

SHEEP AND CATTLE RETURNS.

HIS Honor the Superintendent directs the publication of the following Report and Returns, shewing the number and condition of the Sheep of the Province of Otago, and the number of Cattle imported, during the year ended 30th September, 1863.

THOMAS DICK,
Provincial Secretary.

15th December, 1863.

REPORT.

Dunedin, December 15th, 1863.

Sir—I have the honor to forward you the Annual Return of Sheep within the Province of Otago, for September, 1863.

You will observe by the enclosed list that the total number is nine hundred and eighty thousand eight hundred and sixty-one (980,861), which consists of 829,891 ewes, and 150,970 wethers, exclusive of lambs.

One hundred and thirty-two thousand and thirty-four (132,034) Sheep have been brought into the Province since September 1862. Landed at Port Chalmers, 54,925, principally fat. From Canterbury, 60,809 wethers and 5,000 ewes; and Southland, 12,000, mixed.

By the courtesy of the Settlers I am enabled to give a very close approximation of the consumption of mutton in the country. I find by the Returns sent me, that 138 Settlers (Sheep Farmers) in the Province kill, in twelve months, for the use of their stations, thirty thousand (30,000) sheep; and have sold, as fat, one hundred thousand (100,000), chiefly for meat to the digging population, and thirty-five thousand (35,000) slaughtered for Dunedin and Suburbs, which is a much smaller number than is required, but I make an allowance for a part of the 100,000 sold as fat, finding their way to town. It will be seen that we require about 165,000 Fat Sheep a year for our use.

There is not the slightest fear of there being a scarcity of mutton in the Province, although I question the price being very much reduced.

To meet the above-mentioned demand we have one hundred and fifty thousand nine hundred and seventy (150,970) wethers, which will be marketable through the year; also a large number of old and coarse ewes, that will be drafted for meat to improve the flocks. And the importations will be much larger this season than we have ever had before.

The wet weather has kept the shearing a little back, but, as a whole, the Settlers have every reason to be satisfied, for one of the finest years they have had for stock since the commencement of the Settlement. The grass is abundant, and wasting for want of animals to eat it. The shearing will be a good average, and the lambing one of the best they have had for years—I believe something over 80 per cent.

The number of Sheep diseased, 60,850, shewn in the Returns, appear to be large; but with the exception of three stations, about 30,000, the others are completely under, only waiting for time to elapse to prove whether they are free from disease or not.

I have been fortunate enough to get 76,500 scabby Sheep cleaned within the last twelve months—40,000 in the Molyneux District, under the charge of the Gold-fields Inspector; 24,000 Northern Inspector; and 12,000 Southern Inspector.

I also have the honor to hand you a Return of the number of Cattle imported into the Province of Otago, for the year ending 30th September, 1863.

I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your obedient servant,

WILLIAM LOGIE,
Chief Inspector of Sheep.

To the Provincial Treasurer,
Dunedin.