16
Sheep. | Cattle. | ||
New South Wales, including Queensland | 8,189,162 | 2,148,664 | |
Victoria | 4,766,022 | 614,537 | |
Totals | 12,905,184 | 2,763,201 |
If his Excellency were now here, he would find that the sheep had more than doubled, whilst the cattle had increased by 20 per cent, taking the returns as they stand, viz.:—
Sheep. | Cattle. | ||
New South Wales | 11,100,245 | 1,961,905 | |
Victoria | 8,835,380 | 621,337 | |
Queensland | 6,594,966 | 848,346 | |
Totals | 26,530,591 | 3,431,588 |
It is quite clear, from these figures, that the colony of Victoria cannot supply herself with beef, since her herds are nearly the same now as they were eight years ago, and we know that she has been drawing annually large supplies of fat cattle from this colony. And there is a further fact connected with the breeding and export of cattle well deserving attention, which is this: that it is not alone Victoria, but Tasmania, New Zealand, and South Australia are making large demands upon our herds, whilst a market is being opened up in Batavia and elsewhere for our beef—not to mention the probable exhaustion of our herds, if my friend Mr. Tooth's process succeeds, by which it is said you will be able to put two or three bullocks at once into your waistcoat pocket. Think of that ye cattle breeders!