Page 24 Advertisements Column 1

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

mtmiiißiHiiißHiininmiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiniiiiiinniifiiniiiiiiiiiiimmn iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiinij ' V*"' -i- i- ' - > .5 * *5 * - V \ yppjy% *■* « MENDIP HILLS SPECIAL STUD RAM. MENDIP HILLS MERINO FLOCK The wellcknown Mendip "Hills Flocks, Nos. 21 and 33 in the New Zealand Flock Book, owned by Mr Norman Rutherford were established in 1869 by 25 twotooth ewes given to the late Mr A. W. Rutherford by Hs lather. These ewes Were the pick of the Leslie Hill hoggets, a flock begun in 1860 by the late Mr Geo. < Rutherford. .were sired by rams bred by the late John Murray, of- South Australia, whose flock, as carried on by his descendants, is one of the finest in Australia to-day. The original sheep of the Mendip Hills flock were' of true Merino type. Since the inception of die stud up to 1920, no ranis other than Murray-bred rams had been used In the flock. No expense was spared in securing the very best Merino blood, and up to SOOgns has been paid for rams of extra quality. Further importations were made from the studs of Mr Alex. Murray, Mount Crawford, in 1910, and .from Murray Bros., Rhine, two rams brought over, cost 600gns. T e "; yearslater the first blood other than Murray was introduced into the Mendip Hills stud, as in 1920 tour specially-selected stud rams were imported from the Koonoona Estate, South Australia, one of these sheep costing 200gns. The Koonoona blood has blended excellently with the Murray, and to-day the sheep at Mendip would be hard to surpass anywhere in this country. - The present stud flock at Mendip consists of 500 stud breeding ewes, and they are a particularly fine lot. It has been Mr Norman Rutherford's aim to grow good-boned, well constitutioned sheep carrying a moderately dense fleece of . good stapled wool. The ewes have out 18|lb of wool of approximately 64's quality. Rams in the flock have cut close on 301b, and these run in- quality from 60 to 62 count.' A point worthy o! note with regard to the Mendip merinos is that they are "open faced," and the sheep do not suffer from wool blindness. The flook at Mendip is run out under natural conditions, and they are consequently very hardy, and thrive well wherever they have been sent. Representatives from the flock have gone as far afield as Kenya Colony, East Africa. In 1903, 500 ewes and 40 rams were sent to Lord Delamere's estate in Kenya Colony, and Mr Rutherford recently reoeived a letter indicating that these, the foundation sheep of that Colony, have thriven exceedingly well, and the owner is desirous of securing a further supply. In the last three years rams have been exported from Mendip Hills to California. SHOW-RING RECORD The homestead at Mendip contains tangible evidence in the way of numerous medals, cups and shields of the success of the Mendip Hills sheep at the prinoipal Shows in the South Island stretching back over a period of 30 years. The Marlborough show at Blenheim is the prinoipal merino exhibition in New Zealand, and Mendip Hill ewes several years ago gained six firsts and four seconds in six classes, besides winning the - Munro and Thomas Cup 9, and the ewe championship against 99 entries, including the picked sheep of 10 different breeders./ At the Christchurch Royal Show in 1925 Mendip Hills sheep won the reserve championship in both ewes and rants; in 1928 the champion ram ana ewe ribbons ; and in 1929 the champion ewe and reserve champion ram* These recent successes, culminating a long record o£ show ring achievements, Slow that the standard of the old established flock is being well maintained. Enquiries .'—NORMAN RUTHERFORD, Mendip Hills

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