DUAL-PURPOSE SHEEP.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume X, Issue 18, 5 January 1920, Page 2

DUAL-PURPOSE SHEEP.

CROSS-BREEDING EXPERI-'

menth.

VALUABLE CONCLUSIONS.

The important series of experiments which have been conducted in Australia by the Department of Agriculture for many years past, with a view to ascertaining the crose | by which the highest aggregate value it wool and mutton inay be obtainI ed, have now reached a stage when a review of the work is justified. , The sheep and wool expert, Mr.' J. . Wrenford Mathews, writing in the , curent issue of the ‘.'Agricultural Gazette,” summarises many of the conclusions.

He says that, as the result of these and previous investigations, it can be definitely stated that of all breeds none are so suitable for mating with the merino as' Longwools. He expresses, a preference for the merino ewe in'view of its adaptability to the country-and the manner in which it conforms to seasonal conditions ' in the districts where cross-breeding can' profitably be undertaken, although he admits that in certain connections Britishbred ewes may be mated to merino rams with advantage. The three breeds Crossed with the merino were the Lincoln, English Leicester, and Border Leicester, and the experiment largely resolved itself into an inquiry as to which of these three furnished the most profitable progeny. As regards -natural increase, the English Leicester showed an advantage of about 6 1 per cent, over the other two, which: were approximately equal. So far as first crosses were epneerned the Border Leicester undeniably furnished the most suitable class of earcase for export, though Mr! Matthew’s indicates that it would be well not to place too high an. estihfote on the value of thfe cross for thie purpose at this stage. First crosses reach their maximum development between the two and three years’ l period; so that ti allow fair development, at .18 months seems abopt 7 the earliest stage at which the animals can be profitably marketed. The Border Leicester crows'showed a material gain in body weight, over the other two crosses at practically all ages. The differences in its favour in the case of, weathers amounted to 151 b. as compared with the Lincoln arid 191 b. as-contrasted with the Leicester cross. .The increase in the case of the ewes was .not so great. . • . The Lincoln cross maintained supremacy throughout the;trials in; the matter of wool produetion. In! the cake i>f weathers the‘results re-! veal a gain covering alleges of 11b. | 6oz. over the Border Leicester, and! lib. soz. as contrasted with the; Leicester. With the ewes the difference was 11b. 2bz. as compared with the other tw.o crosses. Less varfar tion appeared among both Leicester and Border Leicester crosses th»p with the Linfeolm The wool of the latter was also coarser, though the extra weight of fleece stood; -as . a compensating factor in assessing its total monetary value. I On the whole the Lincoln gaye the highest clean .yield/ but Aakmg quality for quality the Border, Leicester cross produced higher; yielding wool than either. of. .the. strains with which it was competing, j Owing to its finer quality thfe Border Leicester cross wool ,was on the average lid per lb. more valuable than that of the Lincbln cross, and further owing to its higher yield was about |d. per lb. more valuable than the wool of the Leicester cross. . .. The experiments represent a vast amount of careful detailed work carried out at the experiment farms at Wagga, Bathurst, and Cowra, and the results are worthy of the closest study by those - farmfers who are located in districts where the production of wool and mutton is possible. The combination of sheep raising with wheat growing will do much to retain fertility, fend will substantially reduce the. risks which