The Vermont Strain

Cromwell Argus, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1985, 23 April 1906, Page 6

The Vermont Strain

It is, unfortunately, but too common an occurrence for the breeders of one race of our domestic animals to decry as worse than useless all other races. For instance, the breeder of thoroughbreds can see no good in the Arab, Borne owners of shorthorn studs regard the Hereford as of small value, and the same unreasonable prejudice is often exhibited by the owners of what are known as the milking breeds. Breeders of long wool sheep often regard the Down breeds with contempt, and for many of the owners of stud merinoes there is only one breed of sheep in the world. In England the husbandmen appear to have long ago arrived at the conclusion that there is much good in every breed of horses, cattle, sheep, and pigs. This is shown by the majority of breeds that one reads of as kept in the old country over a century ago being still in existence. In Australia there has been considerable divergence of opinion among stock-breeders as to the merits of rival breeds, but the great battle of the breeds has been fought over the Vermont merinoes. In the heat of the fray statements have been frequently made by prejudiced partisans that have been entirely without foundation. If a sheepbreeder believes that it is not profitable to raise a certain type of sheep, and that it is profitable to raise the type that he already possesses, he is quite justified in keeping to his own sheep, but it by no means follows that because he does not like a certain type, every other sheepbreeder should follow his example. The conditions of life vary greatly in different districts of Australia, and the type that does not succeed in one district may give excellent returns in another. As an instance of this I have received from Sir Samuel M'Caughey samples of wool from a Hock of o,iOO Coonong lambs jusr. ?h. r the average return of woo: bv.l lOIi;. lo:;. of eight month; grov-'ti -i first r.igui oug is apt to rega;-. : c wool :v : . riort in staple, but * .:iu it i.j considered that it is only two-iliialo o2 a year in growth the staple is found to ba very good. It is a robust type of wool, having excellent character, a good solid tip, and is very dense. Such a weight of fleece from au eight-month-old lamb is surely a most" excellent return. As to the value of this wool, Sir Samuel M'Caughey writes : should be worth lOd per lb., and taking locks into consideration would reduce it about lj-d per lb. on the average, so that the net return would be about 7s per lamb The excess of yolk in this wool prevents it bringing top prices in the grease, but the Dunlop wool, bred from Coonong sheep, averaged 2s per lb. in the November and December sales." The Dunlop wool was, of course, scoured. Such a fact as that presented by the shearing of the Coonong lambs conveys more proof of the value of the type than any quantity of theorising or argument—the latter being generally a mere statement of opinion. In another and most unexpected quarter a tribute is paid to the merits of the Vermont sheep as wool-grower 3. Mr J. S. Horsfali lately sent some samples of wool from his Widgiewa stud sheep (of seven-eighths Vermont blood) to Mr Thomas Shaw for his opinion, and the latter replied :—" The samples of wool please me very much indeed. No hair and little grease. Ido not wonder at the prices you are getting for your wool They are real wool, good, sound staple, plenty of length, and great density. I should say it is just the wool for the Bradford market." This is a great admission coming from the greatest stickler in Australia for quantity of wool, and it is creditable alike to the critic and to the grower —"Bruni," in the Australasian.