STERILITY IN SHEEP

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 160, 22 June 1935, Page 4

STERILITY IN SHEEP

Breeders to Assist Research

At the sheep-breeders’ conference at Palmerston North recently, there was considerable discussion on the question of sterility in sheep, and more particularly in ranis. A number of Hawke’s Bay sheep farmers were among those who pressed for further investigations to bo carried out on this problem, and the opinion of the meeting was that such research should bo carried out at Massey College. Professor G. S. Peren, principal of the college, in referring to this suggestion, stated that at present funds would not permit such work being carried out, and explained that research work that had been so far carried out had been done really in the spare time or research officers attached to the college. Following on this, however, at the annual general meeting of the New Zealand Romney Marsh Sheep Breeders’ Association held at the Showgrounds, Palmerston North, on Thursday, ft recommendation by the executive was that a grant of £lOO annually for a period of three years be made to the Massey Agricultural College for the purpose of investigating the sterility of rains; also that Messrs Q. Donald, D. Matthews and A. 0. Morton be appointed a sub-committee to watch the association’s interests. The matter of sterility was a serious problem, said the chairman, Mr A. S. Holms, of Invercargill, and a body such as Massey College could probably accomplish much where the individual breeder could not.

After a brief discussion the meeting endorsed the resolution. Mr J. M. McLinden, veterinary lecturer at Massey College, who has conducted niuch of the preliminary investigations in to this aspect of sheepfarming, recently announced his impending resignation from Masfiey College, but at the conference referred to, members hoped that Mr McLinden’s services could bo retained. According to Palmerston reports, a deputation of Romney sheep-breeders recently waited on the Massey College Council with a request that Mr McLinden he asked io remain on the College staff, and, although no decision hag been announced as yet, Romney breeders are hopeful that a satisfactory arrangement will he concluded. If Mr McLinden is retained, it is possible that he will be in charge of the sterility research.