57 



estates in Australia, although it may do detriment to the get-up of 

 wools, contributes to increase the weight per animal. The smaller 

 grower, with one eye on the fat lamb market and the other on his 

 rough grazing, decides on cross-breds, which have larger frames 

 and return more and coarser wool than blood stock. Cross-breds 

 form 90 per cent of the 22 million sheep in New Zealand, and South 

 American wool once preponderantly merino is now preponderantly 

 of mixed growth. With some figures to show the rise of sheep 

 growing in Australasia and the appalling checks administered by 

 the great droughts one may pass from sheep to wool production. 

 Sheep in Australasia (millions and decimals): 



1860 . . . 20,30 1895 . . . 120,77 



1870 . . . 49,68 1900 . . . 90,47 



1875 61,89 I 9 I 90,82 



1880 . . . 65,49 1902 . . . 92,55 



1881 . . . 75,16 1903 . . . 72,95 



1884 . . . 84,04 1904 . . . 74,88 



1885 . . . 76,12 1905 . . . 84,96 



1886 . . . 82,72 1906 . . . 94>5i 



1890 . . . 101,93 1907 . . . 104,67 



1891 . . . 114,68 1908 . . . 110,20 



1892 . . . 124,98 



The National Association of Wool Manufacturers made for 1903 

 an estimate of the world's clip of wool, which can be thus sum- 

 marized : 



Europe Ibs. 938 ooo ooo 



North America 304 500 ooo 



South America 510000000 



Central America and W. I. . 5 ooo ooo 



Asia 274000000 



Australasia 500 ooo ooo 



Africa 134450000 



Oceanica 50000 



Grand total Ibs. 2 666 ooo ooo 



Except in an indefinite way this calculation cannot be regarded 

 as a very valuable statistical exercise. At all events as regards 

 Asia there must remain a doubt of the complete authenticity of the 

 figures and for practical purposes a calculation of the wool that is 



