NEWS AND NOTES.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15016, 10 July 1914, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

SYDNEY SHEEP SHOW. PASSING OF THE MERINO: (TB.OU OT7B OWN CORRE??ONTMSNT.) . SYDNEY, July 4. The character of the Sydney Sheep Show is changing. It is every year becoming more of a mutton and less of a wool show. The merino, tho pride of Australian pastures and the great source of Australia's wool supply, was represented this year by only 196 out of 508 entries in all sections. British breeds, predominated at the show, and were of a quality that has never been surpassed in tho twenty years' history of the exhibition.

Mr G. H. Eusor. of White Rock, ' Rangiora, tho well-known Corriedale 'breeder, giving his impressions of the show to a representative of . "The | Press," said that what had struck him | and all ihe New Zealand visitors most was tho way in which the mutton-pro-ducing breeds had come so largely to the front of late years. The advent of the freezing industry was responsible for this change. In New Zealand twenty years ago wool was tho prime '■ consideration, but now the call was for sheep for dual purposes. Ninety per : cent, of tho sheep in New Zealanu' were merinos a couplo of decades ago, and to-day there were only about 10 per cent, of that breed in the flocks. The demand to-day was for the wool and mutton type combined. Some of the Lincolns at tho show were the best he had ever seen. He considered that as wool and mutton sheep tho Corriedales at the show had more than held their own. Somo of tho Corriedales bred in .Australia from sheep imported from New Zealand equalled, if they did not actually excel, the sheep-of that breed 'that had been; over from New Zealand. There were-'a large mimber of prominent. New Zealand sheep breeders at the show, among them being Messrs A. Y.\ Rutherford (Mendip HillsV Thomas Chapman (Mount Palm), S. Townend (Mount Laurie), J. Douthwaite (Wairaate). I). Grant (Timaru), md J. Nixon (KilHnchy). Mr Ensor •*M v?i-it O'X'nnsland next- week, and will not return to Christchurch till • ..uout thd lfliudle of September.