THE HON W. ROBINSON'S STUD FARM.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 125, 24 October 1874, Page 2

THE HON W. ROBINSON'S STUD FARM.

It may be remembered that at about the beginning of the present year, the hon W. Kobinson imported by the ships Pleiades and Crusader a number of pure-bred Lincoln sheep. Since then that gentl man has rented for their accommodation the well-known farm recently occupied by the late Mr A. Whincop, a farm in every respect eminently adapted for the purpose. This flock promises to be one of the finest in the Southern hemisphere. Hitherto breeders have been satisfied with importing rams and perhapr, one or two ewes, but in tnis instance there are ninety pure-bred ewes selected with great care from the choicest flo-ks in England, and who were in lamb to the best, rams obtainable before they were put on hoard ship. The ewes are from the flocks of Messrs Kiikham, Dudding, and A. and W. Hack, all well-kuown and having a world wide repitation as successful breeders. Twe.ve of the ewes are from Mr Kirkham's flock, by celebraied rams ; twenty-live from Messrs Dudding's, by prize rams, amongst others Old Panton, the sire of the prize shearlings sold to Mr Thomas Russell for •>OO and ICO guineas each, respectively ; o'theis by a first piize taker at Brigg, while <ith< are by a ram of Mr Claike'< breed of Scopwiok. sire of the first prize royal shearling, sold to Mr Russell for 105 guineas, and the remainder arebyaram of Messrs Dudding which took first prize at the Sleafo d Show. There are fifty-three ewes from the Aie-ws Hack's fl.j ks. all by selected rnms. The hoggets out of toese ewe-t lambed shortly after arrival, at present number forty-three, sixteen of which are rams, and are principally

by Duke and Wclford; the former from a Biscathorpe ewe, by a Panton ram, purchased of Messrs DuddiDg, and sire of Mr Kirkham's highest priced shearling in 1873 (sold 120 guineas). The latter, Welford, is from a Biscathorpe ewe, by a Biscathorpe ram, a famous sire and stud ram, bred by Mr J. Top* ham, late of Candlesby Hall, near Spillsby, Lincolnshire. The average would have been higher but for the fact that several of these hoggets were unfortunately killed by dogs. The ewes are now lambing again, and twentyfire of them have already dropped thirtyeight lambs, and from the appearance of the flock there is searcely a barren ewe amongßt them. These lambs are all by a very choice Kirkham ram. The imported rams are five in number, two being from Mr Kirkham and three from Messrs Dudding. The whole lot are magnificent specimens of their breed. The old sheep were shorn shortly after landing, and have very heavy fleeces. The flock are under the supervision of Mr Finlayson, Mr Robinson has. we understand, telegraphed to England for a further shipment of Lincolns, and his instructions to his agent are to purchase the best sheep that England can produce, regardless of cost. This shipment will, there is no doubt, be looked forward to by breeders with more than ordinary interest.