SHEEP BREEDING.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume X, Issue 1837, 25 January 1888, Page 2

SHEEP BREEDING.

To the Editor of the Star.

Sir, — In the Egmont Star of ' Saturday last I read a correspondence, on the above subject, which you were good enough to publish for what it was worth', bat it was too English to be well understood by Bottlers in this country; what they want is a practical proof of the' best' kind of sheep for this climate ,and how tpgo about procuring them. They say the less a man knows about sheep the more he thinks he knows, and the harder it is to convince him in buying breeding ewes or selecting his rams. He would sooner risk his whole profit for the year than ask a practical judge to assist him in bis selection. So long, then, as that disposition exists,- what hope is there for improvements? ,I, admit there are great disadvantages to 'put-up with on the Plains in gettinga pure breed of any kind of sheep in - quantity on account of the remoteness of the district from older settled places ; and ;6ur irailways are of no benefit to the grazier for the transport of store sheep on account of tbe prohibitive charge for railage. Farmers cannot go far out of the district for new blood. I think its the duty of the County Council to press this fact on the Government, for the latter would get the carriage of these sheep the, second! tjme, fat to market, besides their wool. >This is one ot the evils of tbe present manage* ment of railways dearly shown v while trains are running twice a day up and down our coast almost empty. I will now point out the best- paying breed of sheep for tbis district, and I defy anyone to prove I'm wrong. Details 01 proof "will be given, if required, to anyone applying to tbe undersigned. The pure Lincoln is tbe best, because it matures quicker than any other sheep in New Zealand, and, is fit for the butcher at two-tooth (one year old), after giving the farmer, two fleeces ; and the carcase at tbis age will gojjplbs, while it eats like a lamb. At. four to six tooth he will turn 7 tbe scale at from eighty to one hundred ' lbs; All depends on how be was fed. j 'His fat ia not tallowy, if like the Leicester, or tasteless like tbe Romney. < Apart from tbe South Down, he is tbe best mutton in the colony. Though bis. wool, does not top tbe market, be makes up for it in quantity. Some will Bay- be -is too delicate for this climate. Where' is there a sbeep without a fault, or a man either t Give the Lincoln plenty to eat from a lamb, and he will not require much doctoring. Look after bis; feet occasionally and keep him dry, and he will pay you for your, trouble. Some , will how is it we can't breed lambs oh. this, coast as well as in other parts of New Zealand P I say at once that it's want of experience Tbe lambs are starved to begin <with, and they never recover after being once stunted. Fresh new 'grass isbbulcl'] be reserved for ewes and; lambs, but'vjho does that P Why, it's the last thing our farmers think of, is providing for the young lambs. To mcct 1 the objection, some have to pure Lincolnß, : l'will ! 'say cross them, with Neither Leicesters^or Romoeys, bub, in all crossing the^rams should be Lincolns. You will hot then be so liable to the foot rot, and^w^llhave finer wool and stronger constitution^.,.! will deal with the black-faced sheep', in my next. If any enquiries ( are made,' I may, however, state that they ; ar'e^tne leading sheep at home- at the present time, crossing them with the Leicester for butchers' lambs, but they: would: not answer to cross with' the rubbish we have in this district: . They require a good big sbeep, or tbe lambs t^rill be too small for tbe market, but they are the sheep of the future.— Yours^&c., , s 7- • W. McKbbv^v