PRAISE FROM AMERICAN

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23131, 21 September 1940, Page 9

PRAISE FROM AMERICAN

CORRIEDALE BREED OF SHEEP

High praise for New Zealand and Australian sheep-farming was given in Sydney last week by an American, Professor J. F. Wilson, of the University of California, who is at present in Australia studying sheep husbandry there, and making some purchases of sheep. He will come on to this country later on, and will make more purchases here. Curiously enough, the Professor has announced his intention of buying Corriedales in Australia, and merinos in New Zealand. Why he should want to buy Australian Corriedales when there are plenty of flocks of the breed in this, the country of its birth, he does not state, but he has to buy merinos here because of the Australian embargo on the export of the examples of the breed. Corriedales were rapidly increasing in popularity in the United States, and more interest was beng taken in the breed just now than at any other time in the past, said Professor Wilson. The Corriedale’s popularity was due to the fact that Americans recognised that it was one breed they could use to give a heavy weight of fleece free of off-coloured fibres, and yet produce prime and choice market lambs, either from the purebred Corriedale or the progeny of Corriedale ewes crossed with Hampshire or Suffolk rams. Thus far in the United States there were many different types of Corriedales, both in fleece characteristics and in body conformation. Most of the animals that had been imported carried relatively fine fleeces, running 56’s or higher in spinning count, Professor Wilson said. A good many American Corriedale breeders were of the present opinion that a sheep carrying a lower spinning count would be beneficial, especially for crossing with the Rambouillet merino, which, breed constituted the backbone of the sheep industry in the United States. “Australians are 50 years ahead of the United States in the breeding-of sheep for wool production; that is why I am here,” continued Professor Wilson. “I have come to learn, not to teach, and I am learning a lot every

day. This country is known the world over as the greatest producer of sheep and from what I have seen thus far the reputation is well deserved.” In all probability. Professor Wilson will select a Corriedale ram while in Australia for use at his university stud. He intends spending two and a half months in Australia, and has already visited a number of well-known Corriedale studs. At the end of the period he will visit New Zealand, where he proposes purchasing a flock of merino sheep in the South Island. These merinos, Professor Wilson pointed out, would be incorporated in a breeding project which the University of California had commenced. An endeavour was being made to evolve a type of merino sheep, which would be adaptable to northern coastal areas of California—a section of the country where only merinos would thrive on account of the extremely rough conditions under which the sheep were pastured.