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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 23

IV. Pastoral Development

IV. Pastoral Development.

I now come to the pastoral development. It has been mentioned that this cannot now be termed the pastoral era of New Zealand, and yet New Zealand largely depends upon its pastoral productions. In 1864 the total amount of wool exported was 16,691, 666lbs., while in 1884 there were 81,139,028lbs. exported. The number of sheep has increased from 4,937,273 to 14,056,266; the page 25 number of cattle from 249,700 to 700,000; the number of horses from 49,409 to 170,000; and the number of pigs from 61,276 to over 200,000. There has been a great change also in reference to the mode of dealing with pastoral pursuits. Before 1864 pastoral tenants were mainly leaseholders, paying a varying rent, according to their tenure and situation in the colony, for the permission to graze their sheep on Crown lands. There are still millions of acres held on pastoral tenure, there being 11,384,603 acres. But sheep and cattle are now fed on freehold land, and this especially in the Districts of Canterbury, Hawke's Bay, and Wellington. In Otago there are more sheep fed on Crown lands than on freehold lands. But there has grown up, in connection with pastoral as well as with agricultural pursuits, the export of frozen meat, and that has encouraged the rearing of sheep on freehold lands that were formerly occupied for grain-raising. The agricultural development is closely connected with the pastoral.