Then The Sale Of Surplus Stock Which He Has Not Country
To Feed Should Fetch Him In Fully 1000 Pounds
Per annum; so that,
allowing the country to cost 2000 pounds, and the sheep 2500 pounds, and
allowing 1000 pounds
For working, plant, buildings, dray, bullocks, and
stores, and 500 pounds more for contingencies and expenses of the first
two years, during which the run will not fully pay its own expenses - for
a capital of 6000 pounds a man may in a few years find himself possessed
of something like a net income of 2000 pounds per annum. Marvellous as
all this sounds, I am assured that it is true. {4} On the other hand,
there are risks. There is the uncertainty of what will be done in the
year 1870, when the runs lapse to the Government. The general opinion
appears to be, that they will be re-let, at a greatly advanced rent, to
the present occupiers. The present rent of land is a farthing per acre
for the first and second years, a halfpenny for the third, and three
farthings for the fourth and every succeeding year. Most of the waste
lands in the province are now paying three farthings per acre. There is
the danger also of scab. This appears to depend a good deal upon the
position of the run and its nature. Thus, a run situated in the plains
over which sheep are being constantly driven from the province of
Nelson, will be in more danger than one on the remoter regions of the
back country. In Nelson there are few, if any, laws against
carelessness in respect of scab. In Canterbury the laws are very
stringent. Sheep have to be dipped three months before they quit
Nelson, and inspected and re-dipped (in tobacco water and sulphur) on
their entry into this province. Nevertheless, a single sheep may remain
infected, even after this second dipping. The scab may not be apparent,
but it may break out after having been a month or two in a latent state.
One sheep will infect others, and the whole mob will soon become
diseased; indeed, a mob is considered unsound, and compelled to be
dipped, if even a single scabby sheep have joined it. Dipping is an
expensive process, and if a man's sheep trespass on to his neighbour's
run he has to dip his neighbour's also. Moreover, scab may break out
just before or in mid-winter, when it is almost impossible, on the
plains, to get firewood sufficient to boil the water and tobacco (sheep
must be dipped whilst the liquid is at a temperature of not less than 90
degrees), and when the severity of the sou'-westers renders it nearly
certain that a good few sheep will be lost. Lambs, too, if there be
lambs about, will be lost wholesale. If the sheep be not clean within
six months after the information is laid, the sum required to be
deposited with Government by the owner, on the laying of such
information, is forfeited.
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