VICTORIAN INTEREST

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 106, 1 November 1939, Page 14

VICTORIAN INTEREST

NEW ZEALAND STUD SHEEP

EXPERT VISITOR'S VIEWS

Because of low wool prices, Victorian sheep farmers are showing considerable interest in the fat lamb, trade. Evidence of this is shown in the visit of Mr. N. A. Bowman, sheep and wool expert of the Victorian Department of Agriculture, who was recently in New Zealand inspecting studs of sheep of British breeds, particularly the use in New Zealand of Romney cross ewes for fat lamb production. Unfortunately, Mr. Bowman had to cut short his visit, but before he left he described his.impressions of New Zealand sheep to a representative of "Tbhe Post." The New Zealand Corriedale, said Mr. Bowman, was notable for its uniformity of type, particularly in the head, but it was of less wool value than the Australian type. Mr. Bowman is the only non-breeder member of the Australian Corriedale Association, but he. controls breeding o*n many farms which have large Corriedale flocks. He is also an inspector of the Victorian Corriedale Association.

Questioned on the New Zealand Romney,. Mr. Bowman said that the quality of the sheep was, to his way of thinking, the pinnacle of perfection. New Zealand sires would be of benefit to Australian studs. The Romney had not until lately.been highly regarded in Australia, the sheep farmer there thinking more in terms of wool yield than carcass value. The large majority of Romney breeds in Australia were of the Old English type. He thought the New Zealand type, with its beautifully crimped lustrous wool, would soon be one of the main''breeds used in Australia for crossing with the merino. It was essential for the Australian fat lamb trade to secure the ideal ewe.-

The only other breed which he^ had inspected in New Zealand, said Mr. Bowman, was the English Leicester, which differed little from the English Leicester seen in Victoria. He saw no country suitable for Dorset Horn sheep and, although there was a fair demand for Australian Dorset Horns in New Zealand, he. did not consider them a necessary breed .in. New Zealand.

Although Mr. Bowman- -was not primarily in New Zealand to buy stock, many opportunities came'his''"foray"that he could not afford to miss—opportunities especially to obtain stock that would improve the Australian Romney strain —and he-has made" many purchases in New Zealand on behalf of Australian owners. His purchases included Romney Marsh, Corriedale, Southdown, and English Leicester, in each case selecting from the breeder's show team.