LINCOLN-ROMNEY CROSSBRLEDING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1304, 6 December 1911, Page 10

LINCOLN-ROMNEY CROSSBRLEDING.

IMPRESSIONS OV XX METHODS,

Writing in Hie 'Tnstoralisls , Review" on the subject of Lincphi-ltomnc.v crossbreeding in New Zealand, "Camden" says one can pick up valuable hints chatting ifith farmers in tho llnivke's liny district, and one .soon learns tluit the success of the .Now Zealand fiirnior Ls not liy any means gained by haphazard crossbreeding, but by careful selection and attention, to detail.

The'short-necked English Leicester and the light-wool ..Downs breeds arc not a success on tho hilly grazing riins of _ New Zealand. A large active .sheep, with a • heavy .(leece, is wanted, aiid it.is found id tlic'.'Lincoln, and as cimo goes in iworo constitution mid.a ftnor cin«> of wool is required, arid hero the Jiomney.cowa in. At the present time tho Roni'iey is in .'ffr&it; doiiiand, but'he must be ui n- certiiin standard, and the standard required is i not'so easily obtained as one would imagine from tho t number of stud flocks-. .There ore little points' m this J'im-clii-Eornney crossbreeding which if observed go .far* towards success or failure, 'liny or<j the outcome-of ; years of observant study in, Now Zealurid, nnd they might well bo *~ studied by (hose who . are taking'up erofsbreeding for tho first time in'thcAiiitraliail States: ~ Those who have beon going on, the Lincolti for.write, time'require from a wool* and .constitution point of y;eiv recoforso'to tlio'lfoninoy.'. The lintcln bding : a -'compririitivelV' coarsc-wooHed eiieen,growers ifts:lect{ng.t|ieir Roninejs arc inclined''to': choose fine-'.voolleil rams

t<) bastert'the desired change: But hero tbo ciperiehec of tho successful wool-grow-er, cpmos in." .In.making tho chaago he does', not. make, a violent departure by celfidting the finest-woolled' typo of Roiri■"ney. but. ho chooses "rams'with good ro.bjist wool.and a.decided lock,- so that the .f(ision.,Wiil '-bo, moro. (Toiitlc, and.greater ; uniformity, of progeny the.result. ' The ■ difficulty.is,now to gr-t the class of Koniney'ram fliost suitable for the purpose'of inating:with the Lincoln.'. The sheon rc--suircd for. the 'grazing runs of the Ivorth il'arid requires constitution .and. ability ;to :carry; a'pro'ntalilfi fleece—and carry it well .011.his back: The-successful br'eedets in the.future,' whether of Eomney or Lincoln (perhaps morn, as regards lionineys) will be those who pay strict attention to breeding the right sort of wool on the backs—in the right way. On large North Island runs, "where they persist in the I'omney-I.incoln breeding, they.keep rams : 6f'both breeds simultanedusiy, and class their ewes into fine and strong,.sending .the strong-woolled ewes to :tho Romney ramp and tho fuie-whll-sd (0 itho Lincoln rams. "

The Border Leicester has here 'and there . found favour, wifh Island breeders; but if the propnny are not dispesod of'.is fat; lambs, they- become .'a problem,'for tile wOol-grower-'lO solVe. ", '".■'. ;■ -The keenness with which N'ew Zealand shcepbreeil-ers, study. (|uestio.ns of this lind is responsible for the returns they pet off the hicl^p'riccd.land. The Doniln'.jn is-' full ofshgep-of British breeds, but tl.erh It , *■"-?''-" .Hiero as' eyerywhero !eUa. a?id the.right class of sheep are'in,'.strbh'*'d,einand.-.' < ,'nie.way.they aro- turned nr.'r. at tho shows cannot fail to attract th<- attention, of,a.visitor from i\.ustraii:i. The most-.■Successful bri-eaers-dji not tieii.i.-e; in rWnsipgi but t-hoy Cover their, exhibits a few weeks before the s.how. IThere is an ■ art "rn '-getting .sheep'into siicli fiiie c"oh•.mtwn;. and thwn Australian .breeders of i?."?'^ 0 vfl 0 Jiavoihuch laad imdbrcul- , tnation niay like to htor of a svstPin riirFued by-one of tbe most successful- breeilers in . Zealand. Ho attributes his KUecessful fciKling to placing his rams ini-wMiatflly-they cortie away from, the ewes Won sjyede turnips, so as to improve their condition as quickly as possible after their, season's work,- But turnip feeding at f MA" period can easily be overdone, and. they are kept on the crop onlr until th<nr wool begins to Ret back its" lustre and, sottness. They are then put on to food grass, and aljnwod a small dailv ration nt-ary -fwd—bran, peas, oats, chalF, etc.—care, being taken not to let thirni get vi-ii -i s . th< ! sho "' tim * approaches s Jittlo 911 enke is given, .the qnantiti being increased until show time arrive." J-he sheop thus treated appear in tb•if m , , f '^ h ' hen ! -thy- conditior, with bright nnd snft; and far iron' , ? n, ' c, i 1% wnrk at the stud than whei just "shifted" for show, as is so cfte.i done. : ,; . .

Lincoln and Koniney matters are ve ; keen in the Dominion. A Lincoln SheejDroedcrs Association hau been, for nnd it will talto over the Lincoln floclcSL rea Y r< -« l ? fff 'cu in tho Mew Zenlnn*' Sheepbreedere' Association. The Romncv Marsh &he.'pbreeders' Assnciatiou is no\\ fioine te.coßdlict s'ales-on -it* own account, to specially' regulato the 'salo o etaijms.-: Entries to tho sale -will b= rtrictty lunvted, I think the rule h-iiie f* .I "r-If ™ n °V b ' lin one ri "" lor evorj- lfty owes ho pnsscsscii. ouch a regulation would clikk the terinenev' to.dispose.of flock rums us stud';, but tnt flaw lies m the fact that the man with ♦he very large, flock ha; not neeeuyirili tho largest number of rams that woulii pass as'studs. ■