VARIETIES OF SHEEP AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS. 



1039 



total up to 115,525,000. Half of Australia's sheep are in New South 

 Wales, or, precisely, 46,194,178; while there are 19,593,791 in Queens- 

 land; 12,937,983 in Victoria; 6,898,450 in South AustraHa; 4,692,419 in 

 Western Australia; and 1,928,053 in Tasmania. In recent years there has 

 been a rapid increase, and it promises well for the future of the world. 

 The Argentine comes next to Australia, with a total of 62,000,000 sheep, 

 these figures showing a decrease of no less than 7,000,000 in five years. As 

 vnW be seen by the diagram, Australia's lead is a long one. Russia follows 

 the Argentine with 61,500,000 ; then comes the United States with 56,000,- 

 000, and a long way in the rear are South Africa with 32,800,000, the 



V P- 



DOMALD DIXXIE, A CHAMPION AUSTRALIAN MERINO RAM. 



United Kingdom with 31,800,000, British India with 18,000,000, France 

 with 17,000,000, Spain with 16,000,000, Italy with 10,800,000; while 

 among the countries possessing less than ten million sheep, Canada appears 

 with 2,800,000. When the figures are considered in relation to population, 

 Australia's twenty sheep per capita must be taken as convincing evidence 

 of the exceptionally favorable climatic and other natural conditions under 

 which the keeping of sheep is carried on. 



XXVI. The World's Greatest Wool-Supply. 



The magnitude of the wool-j)roducing industry and its condition of 

 rapid expansion are shown by the table of exports. Taking the last twelve 

 years, it is seen that there has been, not only a continuous increase, but 

 also the maintenance of an increasing proportion to the general total of 



