THE RYELAND BREED.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 41, 18 February 1927, Page 14

THE RYELAND BREED.

GENERAL UTILITY SHEEP. A BREED OF PROMISE. Perhaps the most valuable of the more recently introduced breeds of sheep is the Ryeland. It appears to be a breed well suited to our general farming conditions and has, in fact, given no small satisfaction to those who have tried it. The Ryeland takes its name from the "rye-lands" of Herefordshire and neighbouring counties in the West of England. Rye, by which is understood ryecorn and not ryegrass, was grown for many centuries in England on land that was too poor and light to grow good wheat. That the breed should have been evolved on such land is evidence as to its constitution and hardiness.

As far as history takes us back, the Ryeland was an exceptionally small sheep noted far and wide for its fine fleece as well as its foraging capacity. 11l fact, it has been suggested that Merino blood may have been introduced at some date. Be that as it may, Ryeland wool has always stood very high in the estimation of the expert. The Wf. e of live-Btock improvement that followed Bakewell's epoch-making work led to the introduction of Leicester blood. A very much larger sheep was thereby created and there was at one time a distinct danger of the fineness of the fleece being sacrificed for the larger carcase. There was, however, a sufficient numbier of local enthusiasts to save the breed from being entirely swamped bv Leicester blood, and the evolution of the breed along sane lines has now been in progress for many years.

Although by no means as numeroys in the Old Country as many of the other breeds, the Eyeland is steadily increasing both in numbers and popularity. In view of modern labour conditions and the decline of arable fanning, the demand is for a readily adaptable sheep that will, to a large extent, look after itself and thrive well on grass without much recourse to crops or artificial foods. This is where the Ryeland excels, and large numbers are now being used to cross with long-wool ewes, the_ resulting lamb being suitable for rapid fattening either 011 grass or crops.

"The Southdown of the West." it has no Southdown blood in its veins, the breed resembles in many ways a larger and more heavily-woolle'd edition of the Southdown. In fact it takes the place on the rank pastures of the West of England occupied by the Southdown on the drier soils of the BOuth-eaßtern counties. It is of just the same compact type that produces early maturing lambs of the highest qualitv, while its wool is even finer. The breed is well woolled all over and carries a dense heavy fleece.

It is thus likely to become popular with flock-owners who aim to get a proportion of their lambs away fat, but who may have to carry on a considerable number of them. The Ryeland-Romnev crosses are not only hardier and better fossickers than the Southdown -Romney crosses, but they are distinctly bigger sheep. The ewes are considered excellent milkers and the breed has always been singularly free from foot trouble."

The breed has already won many admirers, more particularly in Canterbory, while there Was an excellent stud at the now non-existent State farm at Moumahaki, in South Taranaki.- There seems to be no doubt but-that it is destined to become one of the standard breeds of Australasia.