In spite of the vast losses in recent years, Queensland has still the largest number of cattle, but the extent of its losses will be realised when it is remembered that out of a total of 11,049,065 in 1899, nearly 46 per cent. were in Queensland, while in 1901, out of a total of 9,827,433 only 38 per cent. were in that State. A clearer idea of the changes which late years have brought about in the cattle industry is afforded by the next table, showing the number in the various States at the close of each year since 1885. As will be seen, returns were not collected in three of the States-Victoria, South Australia, and New Zealand-for several of the years under review : The number of cattle (including calves) slaughtered during each of the five years ended 1900 is shown in the following table for all the States except South Australia and New Zealand, which do not furnish returns. The Tasmanian figures represent the numbers killed in Hobart and Launceston only : The value of the cattle in Australasia, on the basis of the average prices ruling in 1901, was £49,934,000, thus divided amongst the various States: New South Wales Victoria Queensland...... South Australia... Western Australia Tasmania Commonwealth......... New Zealand....... Australasia £ 10,421,000 10,262,000 11,726,000 3,031,000 2,762,000 1,137,000 39,339,000 10,595,000 £49,934,000 HORSES. Australasia is eminently fitted for the breeding of most descriptions of horses, and attention has long been directed to this industry. At an early period the stock of colonial-bred horses was enriched by the importation of some excellent thoroughbred Arabians from India, and to this cause the high name which was acquired by the horses of Australia was largely due. The abundance of good pasture everywhere obtainable also contributed to this result. The native kangaroo-grass, especially when in seed, is full of saccharine matter, and young stock thrive excellently upon it. This plenitude of natural provender permitted a large increase in the stock of the settlers, which would have been of great advantage had it not been that the general cheapness of the animals led to a neglect of the canons of breeding. In consequence of the discovery of gold, horses became very high priced. Under ordinary conditions this circumstance would have been favourable to breeding, and such was actually the case in Victoria. In New South Wales, however, it was far otherwise. The best of its stock, including a large proportion of the most valuable breeding mares, was taken by Victoria, with the result that for twenty years after the gold rush the horses of the mother State greatly deteriorated. One class of stock only escaped-the thoroughbred racer, which was probably improved both by the importation of fresh stock from England, and by the judicious selection of mares. The States are specially adapted to the breeding of saddle and lightharness horses, and it is doubtful whether these particular breeds of Australasian horses are anywhere surpassed. The bush horse is hardy and swift, and capable of making very long and rapid journeys when fed only on the ordinary herbage of the country; and in times of drought, when the grass and water have become scanty, these animals often perform astonishing feats of endurance. Generally speaking, the breed is improving, owing to the introduction of superior stud horses and the breeding from good mares. Where there has been a deterioration in the stock, it has been due to breeding from weedy mares for racing purposes and to the effects of drought. The following table shows the number of horses in each State at tenyear intervals since 1861. In 1901, New South Wales possessed the largest number of horses, closely followed by Queensland :— There is at present a considerable demand in India for Australian horses, especially for those of a superior class, and although the speculation of shipping horses to that country is attended with some risk, owing to the dangers of the voyage, there is reason to believe that in the near future the trade will assume considerable dimensions, as Australia is the natural market from which supplies may be derived. The number and value of the horses exported to India during 1901 from each State was as follows:: The war in South Africa created a demand for Australian horses as army remounts during the last few years, and during 1901 no less than 24,995 horses, valued at £320,152, were exported from Australasia to South African ports, the number from each State being as follows: The following table shows the proportion of horses in each State to the total number in Australasia, at the end of 1901 :— The value of horses in 1901, in the various States, is estimated as STOCK-CARRYING CAPACITY OF AUSTRALASIA. None of the States is stocked to its full capacity; indeed, in the large territory of Western Australia and in the Northern Territory of South Australia the process has only begun. A clear idea of the comparative extent to which each State is stocked cannot be given unless the different kinds of animals are reduced to a common value. Assuming, therefore, that one head of large stock is equivalent to ten sheep, and expressing cattle and horses in terms of sheep, it will be found that the number of acres to a sheep in each State is as follows: The most closely-stocked of the Commonwealth States is Victoria, with 18 acres per sheep, but this is by no means the limit to the carryingcapacity of that State; on the contrary, there is still a considerable tract to be brought under the sway of the pastoralist. New Zealand is stocked to the same extent, but neither that colony nor New South Wales, which averages 3 acres per sheep, can be said to have reached its full carryingcapacity. If the present average of New South Wales be taken as the possible limit to which Australasia may be stocked, there is room in these States for nearly 450 million sheep or 45 million cattle more than are now depastured. That Australasia could carry 1 sheep to 3 acres, however, is an improbable supposition; in almost every State the best land is under occupation, and the demands of the farmer must diminish the area at present at the disposal of the grazier. This will more especially prove true of Victoria, New Zealand, and Tasmania.. On the other hand, by resisting the temptation to overstock inferiorcountry, and by increasing the natural carrying-capacity by water conservation and irrigation and by the artificial cuitivation of grasses, the States in which agriculture has made most progress will be able to carry stock in even larger numbers than they have hitherto attempted. Taking all circumstances into consideration, it may be fairly estimated. that under the present system the States are capable of maintaining, in ordinary seasons, stock equivalent to 390,000,000 sheep-that is, about 180,000,000 sheep, or their equivalent in cattle, more than are now depastured. The number of stock in Australasia, expressed in terms of sheep, the number of acres per sheep, and the number of sheep per head of population, at various dates since 1861, were as given below :— Year. 1861 1871 1891 1901 23,741,706 40,398,390 4,599,700 68,739,796 28.7 54.3 53.2 11.1 62.9 7.5 67.4 45.8 |