STUD SHEEP FLOCKS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24866, 4 May 1946, Page 3

STUD SHEEP FLOCKS

INSPECTION OF EWES SUGGESTED A new angle of approach to the attainment of the best in purebred sheep was made by Mr W. G. Ladbrook at a meeting of the Gore Agricultural and Pastoral Association recently. “I have been told that we are starting in the wrong place, and I quite agree that that is the case,” said Mr Ladbrook. “I have been inspecting Southdowns more particularly and I have been at my wits’ end to know where to start.” Reference was made by Mr Ladbrook to the inspection of rams, and he said he had been told it would be a good idea to carry out the inspection of purebred ewe flocks every three years. If something were done along these lines it would be possible to get to the seat of the trouble. Quite a number of breeders were waiting to get big lines of’ ewes right away. He thought it was necessary for 75 per cent, of stud ewe flocks to be culled every year to maintain the required standard for rams. Qther speakers agreed there was some merit in Mr Ladbrook’s suggestion, but that it was the responsibility of the breeders’ association. Mr Ladbrook: It should be compulsory for all flocks to be inspected, but we can’t do very much. On the motion of Mr Edwards it was decided to recommend to the Southern Districts Council of the Royal Agricultural Society that it consider the general ’ inspection of registered ewe flocks.

Use of Poorer Land.— ln a telegraphed report printed yesterday of the evidence of Mr A. P. O’Shea to the Parliamentary Committee on Population, there were two references to the development of the poorer land in New Zealand. Through an error in transmission the area of such land was given, in the second reference, as 3,000,000 acres. The figure should have been 30,000,000.

Mr R. McGillivray will leave next week by the Athlone Castle for Australia, where he will be associated with various land interests in Victoria and New South-Wales. He will be away from New Zealand about four months.