BREEDING STUD SHEEP.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 55, 29 July 1875, Page 7

BREEDING STUD SHEEP.

The breeding of good stud sheep is of such paramount importance to sheepowners, that the necessity of keeping pure flocks for the purpose need not be enlarged upon. Nor do we -intend to review the advantages accruing, but place before out* readers the manner in which one of the oldest and best flocks in this province is managed. The owner, whom we shall call Mr A, when starting , his flock procured a small number of Lincoln ewes, the purest he could obtain, and at the same time several equally pure rams. In order to be. able to trace the pedigree of one and all of the sheep he^tatooed a number in the ear of each of them, beginning with No. 1 for each sex. When the rams are to be put with the ewes, they are turned out in a paddock with them in the ordinary manner; but the. ewes are divided, according to their style, into several lots, their numbers being* taken down in a book, and with each lot is turned out a ram, supposed to be a proper match for them, their numbers being also taken, down.

.After the lapse of four weeks, the rams are taken out, and in two weeks, others are put in their place. The object of this is merely to ensure a good lambing. , "When the rams are finally taken out, the ewes are allowed to graze together, nor are they separated at lambing time. The books enable the owner to see when the first and last lamb ought to.be dropped, and the interval before alluded to gives a difference sufficient to tell what is the size of any lamb. T-he lambs are, at- the proper age, docked, a number is tatooed in one ear, which is entered in the book, and opposite to it the number of. the dam, that of the sire being placed in another column. It' is thus made ah easy matter to trace the pedigree of any sheep to the time of the starting of the flock, and where rams of a pedigree have been used, as far as that extends. The manner in which the tatoo mark is made is simple. The instrument or marker is made On the principle of a pair of pincers, the points of which are elongated and flattened. One side of this is covered with a piece of horn, while the other has cut -into its centre, lengthwise, . a groove to admit of tike.. numbers being placed in it.- Once in they are held -by-- 'a spring, which Ts let in from: one side. The ear is then; placed on- th9 figures, one little squeeze; being quite sufficient to. make a~mark-y > Some liquid indian ink; or a -mixture o% .lampblack and. spirits, is then rubbed! in, and the operation is completed. On."examination, after a lapse of about a; fortnight, it will be found that t'henumbers appear very plain, and~o£ra"' blue color. . r44

It would of course be absurd 'to!gay. that the method . adopted is ih every respect equal tothat in vogue at home, but Mr A. claims that his plan involves but little trouble, and that he is able to trace the pedigree just as plainly as can be done anywhere at home: .

That, his method of marking* is approved of generally by sheep farmers is amply proved by the high prices obtained for 'his stock. — ' Wanganui Herald.'

The Christchurch ' Press' says. :— The shipment of Tasmanian. draught mares and entires,, with the Arab bred stallion, imported by Mr, D owing in.the. Southern Cross, were successfully landed .yesterday at the Gladstone pier, and by the use of the steam crane we're.- dis-" I charged with great dispatch,,' p#ly. = one mishap/ocichf ring, and that not actually.. ,in thelaniding,;^the" animal in ques-"j tion." had. .been ...- ohV the ..wharf several minuets before she took frightj and fell over thp. £nd close by the. pile-driver, buf^sVsu^cessfully landed after rather^ a long' swim. ''Notwithstanding-* the': Jprdtra'dted; voyl^g;^oth^ were in excell-.; ent condition with the exception pf th'ej largest- stallion,, which has sundered '■'a*! iittle by A Mafiiag. The fittings, and I ci?^:.?^ . .'--atf-sTa-es-.Ti'ir-Vj. - - . [ f. I .':.'-."^

paddings on Jboard, /had been wV 2arj_aßged£- C^he-mpstatfcractive of thelqj is the little Arab stallion Hsaji Babaja r yery_showy^ ahd spirited ; animal, arid, judging from his condition, of good, constitution and temper: He is the progeny of a celebrated Arab sire of reputation in . Tasmania, and will no doubt be -generally fancied in the Pro- - vince. The draught stallions are quite young; two three yr. : old. ' They are bred in Tasmania by R. J. Archer, Esq of Longford Hall, arid their pedigrees show a: long descent of pure blood on both sides. The mares as a lot show more weight and .quality than we are accustomed tp see every day here, and are a most desirable addition to the stock of the Province. Besides the horses, a flne collection of pigeons (seven distinct varieties) arrived in the. Southern Cross, and we. hear that they belong to Mr Macquarrie, of the Union Bank, Christchurch. - I

The osage orange- has been found suitable in Victoria not only for hedges but as an excellent substitute for 'the mulberry tree as>food for -silk wormg.

A swamp containing aboil t 90,000 acres, and situated in the Waikato district, is to be drained by acompanv who has bought the land. " • " In America the windmills are coming into general use for furnishing motive power on farms for such work as pumping, cutting fodder, &c.

The long-wooled Sheep Association of -Victoria has (according to the ' Mortlake despatch) determined to adopt a new method of judging, by Which the exhibitors themselves will be called upon to deside the. merits of the animals. The exhibitors are'to be required to ( act as judges in the classes in which they exhibit, or to nominate some person to act for them.

The profits of superior breeding have been exemplified .(says the Melbourne 1 Age') in the most definite manner by the result, of Mr Morton'.? sale at Skelmerg Hall, and more recently that on the estate of Messrs. Robertson Brothers, at Colac. Last year the surplus draft disposed of by Messrs. Robertson realised £12,000. This year the amount has been £20,60?. There will be, it is stated, "3000 head of fat stock sent to market in addition this season, which will average about £1-2 per head, giving as the grOss income for the year upwards of £5G.000.

The Nelson hop crop is thus spoken of in the * Colonist' : — " We have much f pleasure in publishing the' followingstatistics of hop cultivation in the Takaka district, supplied to us by an esteemed : correspondent. The writer says : — ~ 'Notwithstanding the gardens' in this district are only two years old, the. plants have been wonderfully produc-'j tive. The soil on the banks of the | rivers is found -to be very suitable for its -' cultivation, being of great depth and of; an alluvial formation. I may also mention that 'Mr James Reily, "Waitapu. regaled his hop pickers with a 'really . ■substantial supper and' other amusements. Mr James Spittal, Lower Ana'toki, 2_' acres, 44801b5. ; Mr. James Bridger, Takaka River, 1£ acres, 3551 lbs. ; Mr James Reilly, Waitapu, 2' acres, 44801b5. -, Mr Francis Y. Hicks, Motupipi River, | acre, 5001bs.'; Ifi'r Alexander McFarlarie, Anatoki, ■£ acre, 11201bs. j Mr Alfred Dodson, Long Plain-road, J acre, 5001bs. • Mr Edward Plummer, Upper Takaka, h acre, 1120 lbs.'" "* - - '■■!

A new use appears to have been found for hempseed.. Mr Van Mete&va shorthorn breeder of New York State, ' believes that by its' use as feed he has succeeded -in causing barren cows tor breed. He .has been in the habit of purchasing at sales of the dominant, breed, ' cows that were regarded as hopelesslyl'barreii. Mis general treatment.haying, 'for its object a reduction, r bf;the fat by,,, the adoption of a frugal diet, / giy}hg..;i_dpre ••exercise,, and thus, .pi'omotfn^-j^erjjl' healthfulness, is' .niuch tlie/vsaihe- -Is that pursued by father breeders.-:" Bilt .he., declares that {hy .his •systeili^he has 4"t. this time 3rd Duchess ..of Thorndaley sold 'as a hopeless cftse"at".^_tjS.e;;-I^b^-^drk Mills sale, .-now in caliy "although '■ 1 7 years old . In r'tHis ;,'cp|ony/;.mahy cows long barren Jiaye been induced "to' breed, simply by .'.. .The notable , 'cow! reg.;F?^si*,* yvhibh; gained many „prjzes as a,Jat'c'bw,\ibred freejy after-she. "Was sold,- and : sent by ;her • hew. owner to earn her living in -.an over-stocked paddock, jlf hempseed possesses the' virtue ascribed to it, a knowledge of the fact; 'would he valuable to mahyy and it would be well to'" take, steps to determine the matter.'

The French have devised a nev^ mode of slaughtering cattle. The head of the animal is covered by a mask, of suitable material, wljtich closes the eyes entirely, ,. and is "at the centre; provided with a circular plate of iron, ;rivetted thereto, which guides in a central per-, formation a strong steel bolt orpin in -a direction -vertical to the' plate. The. intier end of the sliding bolt faces the head of the. animal-, and is made hollow^while the outer projecting- part is pro* .yided; wXth alarge; knohr - The masked J or blmdfpldfrd animal'has hd ;idea of his ' fatej.a, single' .blow ;, ! of J the r liaitimer or club on Jh^ *jk§w' being ? suMcient rto ,driy«;|hebpltih^ &nd pro-, duce'the f.ihsVa^dro^^i^'ldif the animal, ta£ ifjstrucl^by;^ v o|eration^ is 5 cdMpfeW- within : half-a^ ; mintipr^ SeverSI K citie r s ls ih "FrajSce anof ( Qtirsmj^ ;haVe' oyi^j^ecial| bMffahces%i> ."^^'^inriE^S^Sc ticli^ VOTt^ii^, ■ device.^ '4.4-.4 ,. ; 44.. '., ""'^.|%; ; t : ?^^

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