Dec. 1895.] 



LIVE STOCK TEADE OF QUEENSLAND. 



289 



LIVE STOCK TRADE OF QUEENSLAND. 



According to the report of the Registrar- General of Queens- 

 land on the Returns of Agriculture and Live Stock for the Year 

 1894', the number of live stock in the colony at the end of last 

 year was as follows: — Horses, 444,109 ; horned cattle, 7,012,997; 

 sheep, 19,587,691 ; and pigs, 89,677. Compared with 1893, 

 these figures show an increase in cattle and sheep of 320,000 

 and 890,000 head respectively, while the number of pigs is 

 21,591 greater than in the previous year, notwithstanding the 

 fact that a large quantity of bacon was made during the year. 

 To arrive at the true measure of live stock production in the 

 colony for the j^ear, there must be added to the increase in the 

 number of both cattle and sheep above mentioned the excess of 

 exports over imports, together with the numbers slaughtered for 

 export purposes, viz., 330,000 cattle and 1,130,000 sheep, which 

 were either exported alive or killed. This is exclusive of the 

 stock of both kinds required by the butcher for daily consump- 

 tion, of which there is no return available, but which has been 

 estimated at half a ballock and two sheep per head of the 

 population. If this be correct, it would mean the addition of 

 another 219,364 to cattle and 877,456 to the sheep. The 

 aggregate number of horned cattle and sheep accounted for in 

 Queensland would therefore stand thus : — 





Cattle. 



Sheep. 



In the colony at close of 1894 



Excess of exports over imports by land 



and hy sea - 

 Killed mostly for export - - - 

 Killed for home consumption, estimated 



as above _ . _ _ 



Total accounted for - 



No. 

 7,012,997 



133,572 

 194,085 



219,364 



No. 

 19,587,691 



274,050 

 869,520 



877,456 



7,560,018 



21,608,717 



It seems that horses and cattle are at present more numerous, 

 than ever before in the history of the colony, but the numbers 

 of sheep and pigs have not risen to what they were previously. 

 There is said to be at present but little inducement for stock- 

 breeders to raise horses in greatly increasing numbers, as the 

 supply is now considerably in excess of the local requirements,, 

 and horses, except the very best, are reported to be almost 

 unsaleable. As regards the export trade, a few horses are still 

 occasionally shipped to India, chiefly for army remounts ; but 

 it is doubtful how far this business is remunerative, as the con- 

 ditions as to colour and other points are apparently very strin- 

 gent, and frequently result in the rejection of many animals, 



O 89185. c 



