SHEEP (FOR THE "DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS")

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XX, Issue 2204, 13 August 1864, Page 5

SHEEP (FOR THE "DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS ")

Wit it vaviely of tho ovis aries, the woolgrowing domestic sheep, do you tin lk 13 best adapted for tlie soil and climate of this Northern Island ° Of course, all varieties of opinions will be expressed or implied on tins question ; and these opinions will be moie diverse as tbev are not numerous, tlie men who have studied this subject. When we read of Port Phillip wools, combing qmlit}', bringing figures as high as 2s. 7d. and 2s lls , Sydney, 2s lid to 3s Sd , it us full time to inquire what breeds of slieep produce wools which fetch so very satisfactory prices. The Sydney wools, it is supposed, consist of the finest well got up men no, fleeces li<rlit In Victoria many of the best wool-growers lia^e adopted the Cotswold and meuno cross, and the results testify to the correct judgment of these enterprising men They obtain wool of a ■ line quality, and the staple is of excellent length for supplying the srreat demand of that kind termed combing Their clips aie double the avoirdupois of the finest Sydriey, and the carcases of Victorian sheep weigh at least onc-tlnul heavier than the ayer .1 e;es of Kew South Wiles The mixed Leicesters have had their favourers and admirer* in this quarter, and a small flock of Lincoln's aie recently introduced Mennos extensively pievail 111 Ifawke's Bay; "Romney Marsh and omnium gatherum in Wellington district When leeonnnng the meuls of vanous breeds, some of them must be brought forward as firstly, and tho Cotswolds are chosen because a standard old England stock. The Cotswolds aie mentioned as early as the year 1138, being then celolnated all o^ er Europe for their fine wool.— the wool which constituted the staple commodity of that kingdom, and part of which filled the Lord Chancellor of England's woolsack Cambden. who wiote abouc the commencement of 1600, mention, their golden fleeces, and notices the sheep coles under which they were, sheltered during the winter months. Hence their name — cotes, or low erections for slicker, and wolds, or pastoral dish ids. On these Ootswold lul's were fed large flocks of sheep, with the whitest wool, muck valued by foie,gn nations These sheep gave name to the locality, a most absolute proof of their antiquity, so that they may be called "as old as the bills" Tiieie cinnot. does not, exist a doubt but that these were tlie genuine old England slieep, which produced the staple commodity of all its trade , a constant memento of their importance The Cotswolds are therefore the patents of all our long-woollcd breeds They alone can be recognised as a standard indigenous lace, the only vanation being modern improvements by judicious selections Pievious to tho present century, short wools attracted the general taste. George the Third and his Spanish meuno?, and Lord Western's and other crosses, made menno sheep the fashion. Not until the commencement of the nineteenth century did Messrs Game, Barton, and Hewer begin to offer rams of this Cots,wold breed by public auction, and the establishment of agricultural societies, frequent exhibitions, and numei'ous comparisons with others, nlade- the Cotswolds noticed For a considerable time the Cotswolds kept the top price amongst longwools, uutil Bakewell introduced his I 'artificial Dishleys, a variety compounded 'of several breeds, and his sbeep became famous. Nothing daunted by this ephemeral eclipse, the Cotswold bieedeis struggled on- their sheep, found many admirers. The Cotswold districts, no longer limited their numbers, but close-bred sheep of their Wood were extended to Wilts, now famous for its Cotswold sheep, to Oxford, Kent, Worcester, Hare-ford, and G-lamorgan Many have been exported to foreign countries, and to the British, colonies One cross with selected nierino ewes is the favourite among our Victorian neighbours at this time, and many are the good judges as well as extensive flockowners in that- prosperous' province. The demand for Cotswolds still increases, and the prices for rams have ruled from -CIO to £126, the last an extreme price. ' 'But the greatest glory of this ancient breed shone out at Napoleon the Third's great fi<rricultural show for all nations at Poissy 111 18G2. There the Cotswolds carried off all the prizes of their class. Mr. Thomas West's nine-montlts Cotswolds, .a pen of five splendid sheep, won the prize of honour in the sheep clasee°. Again, Mr. Taylors Cotswolds bore the decoration as second, both prizes and honours going to Oxfordshire, and King James, Gloucestershire, won the third. Mr. West's five nine-months weighed 8 A stone, equal to 1,170 Imperial pounds, or fully 235 pounds each. Nor were these all their distinctions, a prize was given for tlie best mutton. Tho Cotswolds, as most -highly esteemed, won the thvrd honour of their kind, ifor -good mutton, as well as long wool,- abovei any others exhibited "A Comparison between the cylindrical compact Cotswolds, and the lank, leggy, ill-conditioned looking llomney Mar3h pens, was very disadvantageous, fa tile" latter. Yet Romney Marsh sheep are liighly valued in some parts of r France, to graze on the flat, or wet, or alluvial lands, J through which 'the lazy 'rivers now, and sometime* overflow" tho levels through many. " tniles"of length an'd brb'adth. 'The 'llomney Jfarsli shscp havc-the best feet of any woolgrowing varieties ; v footr6-0s l in- their several types rarely annoy them ; so that for swampy grazing, notwithstanding their big-boned, flatsided, saddle-backed forms, they have at any rate this rare quality torecommend them — sound feet.

But the greatest triumph of Cotswold mould Was over the Southdown blood of the Webbs, and in the qunlity for which the Southdowns were so highly valued, namely, the excellence of then 1 mutton. Like Britain, the rapidly-increasing population of Franco requires increased supplies of ment. Australian short-wool is imported into the empire so much cheaper than France can afford to grow it, that the long-wools and heavier carcases find a preference. Seven to three of a French jury determined that Cotswold mutton aiid Cotswold wool was preferable to Southdown One singular objection is raised against (he true Cots wold mutton ; it is apt to get oyer-fal. This fault, if j fault it is, in the colonies, the French seem to consider as a recommendation. The grand nation have got a relish for fat meat, since their friendly intercourse and useful lessons from perfi.de Albion. Yet over-fat moat runs too much iuto (he fluid stilo, find deluges the frymgpans. A little more of the solid is requisite On tins account a siugle cross between thorough Cotswold rams and pure selected Merino ewes find favour m Tictona. There is size enough produced, a sufficient clip of wool improved"staple, and j. beUor kind of substantial mutton The e.isy way Cohwolds are kepi promotes tins disposition to fatten leadily, as they possess the property in eminent degree of adapting themselves to wide differences of climate and food They thrive on the poor exposed Cotswold hills, but the richest pastures of Oxford or Buckinghamshire aro not too much for tlunr constitutions. With coats of wool on them sufficient to shield fro n changes of temporaturo and rude winds, they prosper in insular situations, or a continental position. The Cotswolds are more a national breed than any other in England, as much an English breed is (lie black-faced, hardy, horned sheep of the lulls and mountains m Scotland Tins nationality proves them the original standard of the country Hence they are easily kept up near the mark. Tliero is no rapid declension with the Cotsvrolds. as with the aitificml Leicesters Any settler with ordinary skill in ■sheep can keep thorn near to the standard Colswold blood extends eveiywhero. The rams aie highly valued in the higher provinces of Fi ance, especially in Berri, where their mtioduction has wonderfully improved the native sheep The Cotsflolds aio not pai ticularly kept m the hands of amateur breeders , they constitute the aggregates of nine counties in England, because they are the famous rent-piying sheep in goner il over those comities The Ootswolds w ill > iv any day with Leicesters for si/c, and for quality of w ool « ill far excel them Sheep ot this breed h.ivi? been fed to the weight of 81 pounds the quaiter, or 33G pounds Ihe whole carcase , but this weight is extreme Fleeces weighing from 12. 1(1, to 20 pounds each are the common and extra weights Alolofshoi n tegs weie sold mCnenccs lei las t\ ear at 5Ss. cich If the wool is reckoned at Iwehe pounds fiom ofl e\ery sheep, and pncod at Is Od pei pound, canase and wool would be worth nearly £1. These sheep were not got up for show nor exhibited for picnmuns, but worked in the usual wny of fanning loutme. If we take the quality and weight of ileecc, the freeness of keeping m good condition, r'ie stamina they always maintain as an original breed, the quality of their mutton as well as quantity, the hurdness of constitution and defiance of cold, we shall find the Cotswolds woithy of colonial attention The New Zealand principle of breeding, if a punciple of any kind can be discovered, is implied by the \erb io import This pt maple, if it is one. can be easily demonstrated unsound In fact, the plan aigues incompetency in oursehos , as we would wish to learn why as good sheep could not be reared in this colony as in Bnt.un Tt is because men of ability are wanted Mr Kieh was ono of those men -with ability, and siy, sonic of you, whit colonial suppoit he leceived! Const u\l changes and expensive nnpoi rations, unlcts the whole stock aie renovated at one move, keep up a constant confusion, and lea\e the flocks without any true cliaracteis, always changing never improving Nay, constant changes foster debility or enfeebled constitutions, and multiply deaths Whatever rams are imported from Britain have to bo acclimatised, and the true iuiprovemenl, if there will be any impiovcment, no\er shows itself until the third generation The first and most important act is minife^t Choose suitable siiecp for the pasture and for the climate. Lot these be as near a standard bleed as cucumstauces can admit. Stick by your choice. They cannot degenerate far By prudent management and judicious selection they will unpioie As long as a (loekmaster is constantly changing, ho will never have health}' sheep. A continued share of weakness is too evident in the animals and in their wool Tf sheep in tins state of dcbibly avo crossed bv otheis in similar condition, that feebleness of constitution is more than continued , it was weak before, but becomes absolutely weaker thereafter Nothing more easy than to breed out by constant crossing The deed is done eveiy season, at sometimes considerable cost Crossing is a woik of skill, and few arc those w r ho succeed or have succeeded m comparison with the host of those who have faded and bungled the business A cross always implies a difference of kind, and it is sure to change the character of a flock Bat when a flock possesses no chaiacler it is necessary to give it one When the time for an adequate choice is come, sound judgment in a selection will be rewarded with thriving sheep It is unfortunate for a country when its people cannot fix on some standard as a general rule amongst themselves. Such a standard would prove of Infinite value as the means directly of establishing a local reputation, and maintaining the breed without declension. Continual changM never did good — often much evil. Whethpr,, the Lincolns or Cotswolds or South Downs, ar,e preferred (the last two being primitive stock), an effort should ibe -made ito localise them. The Leicesters annually decline in British estimation,, from unremitting care demanded to keep them up. They are not the sheep for these > colonies, having too man}' crossings previously The Lincolns are large, ' heavy, not handsome sheep. They belong to the Tien, alluvial, fenny county of Lincoln, and lately were prominently into notice, solely 'by the caprices of fashion, on account of ajfeculiar silky, glossiness in the wool which constitutes the favourite quality This breed had been for ( a Jong time chiefly confined to Lincolnshire, because few other counties were considered sufficiently fertile whereby to graze them. Like all large animals their keep must bo proportionate, and rich pasture grasses are the only kmds of feeding on , which they will' thrive. Turnips' they despise, and artificial food,' ' except' hay, is refused. These Lincolns are just the sort of sheep for rich men, who can afford to give them whatever extent of acres 'they 'may require them m full feeding all' the , year , round. But the Lincolns will never prove the poor inens' sheep, nor the rent-paying sheep. , Convey them from abundant to ■ scanty pasturage, or run them in the New Zealand bush, and they will soon become a wonderful structure of bones nearly ready for 'any museum. Tho inferiority of their mutton is everywhere admitted. A fat Lincoln is algreasya 1 greasy fat, and coarsely grained in lean or muscular flesh. The days of this kind_of_mcat hare gone'by, even in .England, , as the loss in cooking 13 equal to 50 per cent Neither the Lincolns nor Eomney Marsh sjieep havp ever afforded f^ood mutton, nor ever will . they are too gross feeders. When ...swine reach scwt., at what rates arc their pork or bacon prized, 0 When Lincolns ■ attain, to 2|cwt. their mutton is held in like estimation as the meat from- over-fed pigs. It is'iemark&ble that no cress "with the Lincolns have ever proved of *aiiy 'value In fact the less they arc removed from their own type, so much the better for the owners or breeders.

It is a qiire sign, wlien a man slips down in the nmd, that h« has had a drop too much.