SHEEP BREEDING IN NEW ZEALAND.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10146, 20 September 1898, Page 6

SHEEP BREEDING IN NEW ZEALAND.

«' Weekly Press and Referee,'

VLTI.—MARLBOROUGH.

By Jumbitck.

In the Marlborough district we have so many different variteies of soil and climate that the result is the breeds of sheep vary considerably. Blenheim is one.of the best sheep districts in New Zealand, and there is good sheep-producing land suitable for growing rape and turnips, very much like the Canterbury Plains. One can see farms within five miles of each other varying in value from £4 to £14 per acre. Some very good flocks of Lincoln Merino cross are to be seen, that compare very favourably with those in any other part, of New Zealand, for weight of wool per sheep and price per lb, with a very fair return for mutton. Seme of the Lincoln flocks in the North. Island can beat them as regards weight of wool per sheep, but there they have gone further into the Lincoln. The wool and mutton are much coarser, and are to-day of much less value. During the last five years the coarse wool has been selling as well, if not better, than the finer staples, but in the last six months we have noticed a decided drop in the coarse fibres, and a better demand for the finer sorts, which will be much in cur favour.

As regards the mutton, the first cross Lincoln Merino will always sell well if prime, but when one goes further into the Lincoln the meat is much coarser, and does not command such a good price per lb at Home, as some' of the other breeds do, the carcases also being too heavy in a great many cases for the frozen meat trade of today. Every year we see the light sheep coming more into favour, and commanding much better prices than the heavy sheep. This year I have had returns for 471b sheep that gave mc more per carcase than others of the same shipment of 70 to 801b weight. This is a clear proof that they want the fight sheep and not the heavy ones. On some of the sheep stations they have the English Leicester cross, and very nice looking sheep they are. This ought to be the coming sheep in the Marlborough, district. The English' Leicester-Merino cross has given Canterbury the prominent position it now holds in the frozen meat trade in England, pud Blenheim is so much like Canterbury in every way that I feel sure it will be equally successfully jn its results in the frozen meat trade.

With our first-class Merino flocks, and such large numbers of them, we have an/excellent foundation for the most saleable ilasS of sheep for the frozen meat trade. We have stations that return 81bs 15oz and 81b 14oz of Merino wool per- head. With such heavy woolled Merino ewes the English Leicester would be tibe most suitable sheep to cross with for all round purposes. A few years ago when the rabbits had possession of the Marlborough district the Alerino ewes through being short of feed were very muelr smaller than the flocks of that breed in the Canterbury district, but the rabbit's days are over, we hope, and the slheep are sure to improve. The clips before mentioned will prove that a great improvement has already 'taken, place. My opinion is that the Marlborough district has a great future before it, not only as a fat. sheep producing but because of the large number of half-bred sheep that will be sold, as stores to go south to be fattened on the Canterbury Plains, and sold in London as Canterbury mutton. I am quite sure that if tlfe sheep aire bred in the right way the Canterbury people will not make any* fuss about|it, but will be only too glad to be" able to get sheep equally as good as" their' own 1 " to sfill up : the gap that the exporting of such "an immense number of lambs makes in their flocks every year

When any sheep come from the far south we hear a great, outcry from the Canterbury people, "these sheep are too coarse," and that is "so ! in a .'great imany: cases. . The climate in the south is so different, and they have such a long winter .that the sheep have not time to get into good condition during the rest of "the'year' until 1 they get to be six or eight-tooth; and the Romneys and Border Leicesters are then far too coarse to go as Prime Canterbury. I understand they put a second class ticket on most of these sheep, but of course there are exceptions to this rule. •- As regards our if we only use the right ram to our Merino ewes we shall always have a good. sale for any surplus sheep we may have to dispose of as stores. Blenheim should be one' of the best sheep producing districts in New Zealand, and should make for itself a-name in the frozen meat trade equal to Prime Canterbury. To do this we must'.:study,the best breed of sheep to give us the nice, short shaped carcase the London butcher wants. The English Leicester cross sheep will always look well when hanging up, iL prime, so much better than the long-legged, long-backed Border Lie ester, or the Lincoln or Romtoey, and will sell at a far better price per lb and fatten on less feed. Some of the sheep farmers take out their largest-framed ewes and put them to a Down ram to get fat lambs. I like the Southdown best, hut I know most people prefer the Shropshire. This, lam sure, is a good plan so long as all the lambs can be got away fat. In the Sounds the sealers have come to the conclusion at last that their shoep are too coarse, and they are using the English Leicester ram with very good results. In some places they use the Border-Leicester cross, but they do not shear the weight of wool, and ate too long in the carcase. For constitution the Romnev is the only sheep that can beat them. * On _he wet lands in the Sounds the farmers have the Romneys,. and very good flocks they are. I know they do better on wet land than any other breed, and I have seen some very heavy woolled sheep in very good condition on some of the heaviest land in the Sounds.

If the Marlborough sheep men will only make up their minds to breed the right class of sheep, and ship none but prime quality Home, they are sure to succeed, and they should insist on proper grading at the factory. Nothing but prime sheep should be allowed to leave the works, with a prime ticket on them; any long, badly-shaped sheep should be put out as second-class, and go Home under that brand. I am quite certain that it pays the shipper to do this, as some of the salesmen can sell lines of second quality mutton at a very little less than the first if not too heavy, but if the carcases are mixed up with the prime sheep they sell at comparatively low price, and spoil any chance of selling the line ex ship or store. An agent, if he knows that any inferior sheep have been taken out and put under the second class brand, can very often make good sales ex ship or store. This classing is the only way to obtain good results and improve the sale of the mutton in London, which I think is what we should all aim at in the interests of the whole of New Zealand..