486 



Journal of Agriculture. 



[lo Aug., 1910. 



have been introduced to meet the present heavy demand for workers ; and, 

 takhig a liljeral estimate, it may be assumed that perhaps the same 

 number of the mares brought over are intended as workers also. 



The average selling price of these mares and geldings for work, I am 

 assured from a reliable source, will be not less than ^48 per head — or a 

 total sum of ;z{^43,2oo, which sum, it may be mentioned incidentally, ought 

 to have gone into the pockets of the Victorian breeders. The remainder of 



Foaled 1884. 



LAURA LEE. 

 Champion Clydesdale Mare, 1886 and 1S88. 



the mare.s — 297 — are imported for stud purposes ; and, taking the prices 

 prevailing in previous years, they will realize an average of not less than 

 ^80 each, or a total of ;^23,76o. For the 146 stallions the price that 

 will be paid by the buyers here will be. again judging from the figures 



obtained in previous years, say. 

 Adding these totals together : — 

 Draught — 



^Yorkers (niai'es and gelding.s) 



Stufl Mares 



h^tallions 



^200 each, or a total of ^29.200. 



900 at £48 per head 

 297 at £80 

 146at£-2()0 



Total 1,343 



£43,200 

 •23,7()0 

 29,200 



£96,160 



we are face to face with the fact that in the course of the year Victorian 

 farmers are handing over to New Zealand farmers somewhere in the 

 neighourhood of ^100.000. This amount is paid in ca.sh too — not in kind 

 ■ — for the number of draught horses exported hence to New Zealand is 

 practically negligiljle. In other words — and allowing that the cost of 

 breeding, rearing and transport is 50 per cent, of the selling price — it may 

 be said that Victorian farmers are subsidizing the draught hor.se industry 

 in New Zealand to the extent of ^50.000 per annum ; that at a time too 

 when a claim is beinp; \oiced for the Victorian industry to be subsidized 



