THE PASTORAL INDUSTRY

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20084, 13 November 1930, Page 24

THE PASTORAL INDUSTRY

Stud Flocks of Canterbury

THE PASTORAL INDUSTRY

The Dominion's Stud Flocks

THE VARIETY OF BREEDS Some years ago. an Argentine visitor to the Metropolitan Show at Christchurch, and an authority who tiad extensive experience of the shows in the United Kingdom and Australia, expressed the opinion that the Canterbury show of sheep was the best in the world. The casual observer, having in mind the great displays of long-wool sheep at the English and Highland Royal Shows, might accept this opinion with some reserve, but there are very definite Reasons why the claim is a sound one. It is true that in the Old Country the British breeds are still paramount and likely to be for many years to come. The various Down breeds, and the lojig-wools of the Romney Marsh, XtOicesters, and Lincoln breeds represent the highest standard, though in the case of Lincolns and Romneys it is possible that the Hew -Zealand types suit colonial requirements better, a suggestion supported by the fact that there is a steady demand from the Argentine for Hew Zealand sheep of these breeds. But once away from the mutton breeds the Old Country takes a secondary place. Merinos are unknown, and Corriedales are represented by one small flock in the experimental stages. Any show in the Dominions without a representation of these two breeds would not be a show at all.

Australia, and perhaps South Africa, whieh has made great strides in the development of the merino in recent years, are pre-eminent in the production of the fine wool breed, but in few of the English breeds—English and Border Leicesters, Romneys, Southdowns, and Ryelands—are the flocks of equal standard to those in the Dominion. The Hampshire Downs—a breed unknown in a commercial way in the Dominion—are used in the lamb-raising industry, but the Commonwealth exportation of this product is a small matter compared with that of this country. Corriedales, unnecessary to remark, take the same position of seniority in the South Island of the Dominion as does the merino in Australia. The Argentine breeders can claim superiority in the Romney and Lincoln breeds to the Dominion, although in connexion with the former the point is arguable. Romneys exported from the North Island can secure awards at the Republic's principal show, Canada does not count in the sheep world, and the Rambouillet, the merino of the United States, the principal breed, is an inferior type to the New Zealand merino. The Down breeds for lamb production have not been very prominently in the picture, for the reason mainly that lamb and mutton form a very minor part of the American diet. So that when we consider the variety of breeds exhibited at our Metropolitan Show—the merinos, Corriedales, English and Border Leicesters, Romneys, Southdowns, Ryelands, and Shropshires—the claim for all-round supremacy is not an idle one. The foregoing facts may make interesting a few observations on the subject of our sheep flocks on such an occasion as the annual show. The latest Flock Books published give the number of flocks of purebred sheep as follows: # Lincoln .. .. .. 8 English Leicester ' .. ~ .. 91 Border Leicester .. .. .. 139 Romney Marsh .. .. .. 619 Southdown .. .. .. 675 Shropshire .. .. .. 56 Merino .. .. .. .. 51 Ryeland .. .... 62 Corriedale .. .. .. 196 " Halfbred .. .. .. .. 23

The heavy proportion the Canterbury flocks hear to the total indicates the cause of the Canterbury Show being outstanding in the sheep sections. The province is the home of the Corriedale, the English and Border Leicesters, the Ryeland, and Shropshire, and shares the title with Marlborough for merino and with the North Island for Southdowns.

Periodically shipments of the breeds are made to widelyseparated corners of the earth. Corriedales have gone to Australia, America, the Argentine, Chile, and the Falkland Islands. Borders and Southdowns as regularly go to Australia, and Ryelands are also creating a demand by breeders there. Romneys and Lincolns are regularly shipped to the Argent! , and merinos to America and recently to the Kenya Colony. These destinations by no means mark the limit of Canterbuy- sheep export.

It is reasonable to assume, therefore, that when economic conditions right themselves in the world this valuable Wade will be developed with greater intensity. The soil and climate are ideal for the purpose of raising hardy, strong*constitutioned sheep, fit to put out on country where the climate is variable and frequently severe. It is this constitutional quality and freedom from a pampered development that are turning the attention of breeders in other countries to the Dominion* for its source of supply. The limestone quality of the pasture throughout much of the South Island and in parts of the North gives young stock an advantage over many other countries as a stud stock farm. The value of live stock exported from the Dominion in the year ended June 30th, 1930, was £121,267. The proportion of this that can be credited to cattle, horses, and pigs is small, and it is a fair assumption that over £IOO,OOO was the year's value of the sheep trade. This value, it may be added, is the value estimated in New Zealand. In the country of importation it certainly would be much larger. It is reasonable to suppose that with a removal of the depression the figures would be greatly increased. There is no country in the world so free of stock disease as New Zealand. The foot-and-mouth trouble is unknown here, as are the diseases that affect sheep and cattle in most other countries. This is a very valuable asset in the development of the export trade. The other necessities to observe are matters for breeders themselves. It has been suggested that stock lias been sent abroad that falls below the standard. If such is the case the breed associations should not hesitate to act, as any remissness in this respect would be fatal to what, at the moment, appears as a most promising source of revenue to the breeders of good stock in this country.

THE VARIOUS BREEDS.

, ; How They Are Distributed. ; CANTERBURY AND DOMINION COMPARISON. j The following tabic shorn the distribution of the v&rioas crosabreds in each Island, the Dominion ss * Whole, Canterbury:—Total; Canterbury- in in 'H Kaikoura. South Island. Domiitfe^ 1 Stud sheep (entered in Flock * 1? Book) Merino .. .. 13,148 28,805 SBi«-" Lincoln .. ,185 896 i : Bomney .. 5,999 70,480 SOO,699^'Vji Border Leicester .. .. 18,453 24,602 . ' Sfl.OlS.t* English Leicester .. 51,363 34,194 27,450 Shropshire .. .. 2,853 '8,913 Southdown .. .. 19,020 23,789 'SUM.'J;' Corriedale .. .. 39,175 53,696 : ' Byeland - ... .. 1,291 1,580 S^W.'S; Other breeds .. .. 2,555 4,519 4 » BB7 '>| Totals .. .. 119,040 235,854 - 441,474 f? Sheep of a distinctive breed, * brit not entered in Flock ' " j. Merino - .. .. 495,871 1,118,331 Lincoln .. .. 7,103 21,860 ' ■ ■•7B>7oß'^ Eomney .. 103,617, 664,094 ; ZjOQfi&lSi Border Leicester .. .. 23,599 - '49,133_(|0,70F^ English Leicester .. 37,560 58,243 1 •" -{>P^S&6- V Shropshire .. 6,758 18,407 lteto* Southdown .. 23,204 ?7j?I8 ' ■ - 189j46t®l Corriedale .. .. 678,003 1447,643- 1,194*15. 4 Halfbred ■ ~ 721,088 Eyeland • « 2,000 »■ 4^28 Other.breeds .. •• 13,518 52,968 '/-"jßjuatfjH , Totals • • 2,111,716 4^87,519 , , Grossbreds Mid others .nofc """ otherwise enumerated" .. 3,821,28? 9,582,001Or&nd totals ■* 6,052,048