ON THE LAND.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8302, 22 November 1915, Page 7

ON THE LAND.

THE CORRfEDALE

DISPLACING THE MERINO

A visitor with a special mission to the Oamaru Show was Mr George Cathie, representing Younghuaband, Row and Co., Proprietary, Ltd.j Melbourne, The name of the firm is a'household word throughout Victoria, where Messrs Younghusband and Row are largely interested'in big areas'of "pastoral coun-! try. "I'm after your Corricdales," said Mr Cathie to a'reoorter, pointing to some excellent types of the Corriedald ram. "and I'm not going back to Australia without some of those fine fellows with me." Questioned further in! regard to the matter, Mr Cathie said that the bringing of Corriedales into t Australia, more particularly into Victoria and Tasmaria, was more in the natureof an experiment than anything else. So far if had proved a complete success. Corriedales, though not_ necessarily coming into open competition aginst the Merino in certain classes of co-iintry, was- be^innirig to' be: recognised as a., better ; "general utility" feheep. They- were nnctoubtediy:iihe -bestwool v growers-, arid*-' prodttiifiet& th» best .'fat lambs-that had' ever then, seen in Australia. In -Australia last"year, Corriedale wool sold irp to-16H a lb., in a bad season at that. It wonld perhaps bo interesting to know that that wool was from the progeny of New Zealand rams. "The sheep our firm .has already experimented with," said Mr Cathie, "have been easily the best wool producers thp.t have passed -through our hands. Moreover, we have found them generally a hardier sheen than Merino, and abovo all, their lambs are more marketable*." Th^ visitor oointed out that the world's demand of late years tended -towards the coarser wools, which had becomo more popular than the fino wools for general utility purposes. Any class of coarse- wool was now booming all over the world. 'Merino was at present ln.'r<rel\T. out of favour because the g«?nei'nl run of manufacturers were requiring the coarser material for military use.

"With us, 1' 'concluded Mr Cathie, "Corn'edale is supplv'ino; a lone-felt' want, and I do no', think it will be long before 'Oorriedale' becomes o,n every-day term in Australia. I jini takino; a fov/ rams away with me for use on some Tasmanian lands. Next j year I hopA'. to largely in<>reiiee this ) number." • »