THE "FAKING" OF SHEEP.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1072, 10 March 1911, Page 8

THE "FAKING" OF SHEEP.

•;..< MORE EXPERT OPINIONS.' The interesting controversy concerning ;ho "faking" of sheep, started by Mr. H. 3.',■.Williams's letter in last Saturday's DOMiMWJ, continues. . Hereunder aro the >pinions of several well-known agricul;urists:—

■" .'STIPENDIARY JUDGES. Mr. W. H. Buick, a Wairarapa Eomney breeder;, says the "Age," stated to a reporter that "he was thoroughly in sympathy with the views expressed by Mr. H. in this matter.- Ho was quite opposed to 'faking' in every way, either in regard to clipping, oiling, singeing, .colouring, or anything else. The remarks'- mado by Mr. John Bidwill in regard to the variation in the length of the wool on a first prize sheep shown at a recent.show were to'the point. Tho variation was quite apparent to the naked eye, without the assistance of a 'rule.' Speaking on the question of rugging show sheep, Mr. Buick did not consider there was any harm in the use of a light covering when necessary. He was strongly opposed to the practice of 'oiling,' on the ground ;'■ that patches of inferior wool could be 'made up' for show purposes by its use.' He was equally emphatic in regard to 'trimming,' which practice bo con-sidei/ed should be abolished. The trace of 'hairy tips''could be completely destroyed/by trimming;, Sheep should bo shorn as much as possible under natural conditions. Mr. Buick said that the only 'colouring' which ho believed in was that produced-from the natural dipping of sheep and no other. It was .done- by means pf a spray, and was simply resorted to to put a 'bloom' on the wool. Sheep stiould be shorn in the usual way, and at-the right period,- and'then loft alone. . He did not altogether agree with Mr. "Biilwill's contention that the asso-ciations-were to blame- The judges wero 'the men whii should put down the practice of 'faking,' and if it.could not be .accomplished under the prc-ent system then they-should con'sider Uhe-matter of'appointing, stipendiary Judges. lie . held !rhat-'the rules.of the association in .regard to 'faking' were a ftlpatl letter. , The case of a "'faked' sheep referred to by Mr- Bidwill" was one of the most- glaring tnat had 'come finder': his,notice." -

■V ■■;.• MR, C.'.E. .BEETHAM'S. VIEWS. Spanking to a .representative of theMasterton "Times," in regard to the natter, Sir. CVE. JJeetham "was emphatic (savs that paper)-"in his'condemnation-of ! the practice, the 'object of which,, to put it plainly,'was to hide blemishes,and thus to make sheep'appear better than they .'really were.' Sheap,- he stated, should not 'be pampered for pnrposesof exhibition or -.Bale. Thcv should be fed on grass and 'shown on their merits. He was aware '.of tho fact that judges and studbrceders : were -not as a rule deceived, but that did l-nOt justify the practice, as though exi'perts might:be able to.tell when-a sheep had been' pampered .''.the average sheep' farmer could not. and he was the man : who suffered. Take, for ■ instance, a :.Ttnmney' sheep with .hairy, points; it 'thesewere not cut off before it was taken : to. the-show.-ring '. it would not get a '• prize . .'ln .'conclusion, Mr. Beetnam 'stated that tie"'intended'to offer ,a prize p.f : three'guineas to'the Masterton A .and P. Association for'the'best faked sheep at then>xt< show'. ihe" ; judge to be appointed by the association." .

DECEPTION AT KAM FAIRS . ALLEGED. "Another oractisal' farmer" (ays the Mfrsterton "Times") "characterised tho practice as dishonest and the'extreme. Particularly was this tho ■rase, "he stated, in regard to ram fairs. Sheep were run into the ring and bought on their appearance, which was often deceptive* in conseciueiico of which they realised a very much higher price than would .otherwise have been tho case.'

A'; .WOOL-CLASSEPv'S OBSERVATIONS,

Mr. C. Bannister, wool-classer. of Masterton, is reported by the "Age" to have told .a" reporter that .he saw more "faked" sheep at the recent Ram lair than previously, and he had heen a constant visitor for ..the past ten years. • MORe'pROM ME. WILLIAM PERRY.

The following letter as from Mr. William Perry has been published by the "Wairarapa Age" :—"Having read a letter which appeared in Saturday s Dominion on the question of the way sheep are got up for show purposes, over/the signature of : H. G. Williams, I cannot let it go unanswered. In his letter ho quotes a part of his wool-brokers' report ns follows:—'There was in : almost everj) lot some very poor bred fleeces, quite unlike the usual breed of your wool. The quality was the same as the other fleeces, .but thev had a hairy tip to the and] this will go further down tho staple unless some fresh blood is introduced. , Prom a wool point of view, always avoid buying sheep when the -staple' shov-:s a hairy tip. It is a sura sign of bad breeding.' Now, sir, I. am open to wager a £o noto that there'is not one of tho frequenters of the show ring who has reIceived such a condemnatory report of his wool. "My own has just come to hand, and it reads:—'Twelve bales gssasy super Upmncy, U quality, good length, well bred, good lustre.' I will leavo -your readers to draw their own conclusion', ijiib I would suggest to Mr. Williams that his time would-be more ■ profitably employed taking lessons from Mr. Sam Wood ttian writing to the papers."

MR. JAMES M'GREGOR, SEX.'-' - Mr. James M'Gregor, sen., was interviewed by the' "Daily Times," which reports him as having stated that "as tho conditions were at present it was impossible to bring sheep into a show ring without having first trimmed them. Tho trouble was that while one man might agree not to (rim his sheep, fifty others would continue to do so, and would step in and carry off the prizes, and any conscientious mau would he likely to lie imposed upon if he did not keep paco with those who had no scruples. It was one of those things that could not be avoided, and it was for every man to prepare his' sheep as ho thought Iks':. He'was npt prepared to say that there was no undue trimming done, just as undue advantage was taken of the public in many other ways. Every man had his ideal of what a sheep ought to' he, and he should , strive continually to get as near to that as possible. If sheep were unduly trim- ■ med, the judge had power, as A. and P. Association rules were constituted at present, to throw them out."