The Most Profitable Sheep,

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XX, Issue 2321, 9 January 1893, Page 2

The Most Profitable Sheep,

{Hawke's Bay Herald.) At the regent Stook Conference, Mr. John Boberts, C.M.G., read a paper on the most profitable Bheep, and the Hawke's Bay Herald, in a review of the paper and discussion, has the following :— The paper mainly dealt with the question of the best longwool to cross with tbe merino, for the information of the Australian delegates. Here in tbe North Island we have almost confined ourselves to the Lincoln cross, but in the South Island almost every possible cross has been tried. Mr. Bobertß oondemns this cross in the first instance on the ground that the Lincoln is too strong in the head and heavy in tbe bone, causing great mortality in lambing. The Southdowns and Shropshire Downs are suitable as regards frame, but the first cross produces suoh a very light oljp of wool as to render these breeds unsuitable. For breeding early lamba for freezing they are, however, useful when put to white-faced longwools. The Hampshire Down oross gives, better results, but Mr. Roberts emphatioally declares in favor ot the Leicester first cross, subsequently using the Lincoln, Bomney, or Cotswold ram on the cross. The English Leicester gives slightly the best clip, but Mr. Boberts prefers the Border Leicester as producing a better carcase, while tbe first oross is_ almost as hardy as the merino, and thrives on native grasses at high altitudes, besides being free from foot-rot. The majority of our farmers, however, are more concerned' in learning bow to oross with heavy longwools co as lo produce a better, earoase for freezing while tipt sacrificing 1 the wool. In the discussion whioh followed tbe reading of tbe paper this point was touched upon by sheepfarmers in both the North and South Island, Mr. Boag, who had experimented with many breeds, s&id he had settled down to the Leicester as tbe most thrifty and profitable sheep, and endorsed the opinion of an* eminent .authority, who said "You can improve anything by crossing with tbe Leicester, but no breed will improve the Leicester." Mr. Brydon, the manager of the New Zealand and Australian Land Company, tbe largest flookowner in New Zealand, said that for thirty years past 1 the company had been experimenting with Lincolns and Border Leicesters. When the wcol was the first and almost the only consideration, be porferred the Leicester with an infusion of Lincoln blood. But for people* who had country for fattening sheep for export the greater tbe quantity of Leioester they bad in i their sheep tbe more profitable it was The company had endeavoured all along' to select Border Leicester rams tbat carried heavy fleeeee; an^ had greatly im- ' proved them. He had also tried several ' of tbe Down breeds and Bomneys, but <

had come to the oonolution that foe general profit there was no sheep equal to the Border Leicester forcro«ngwrpoßeß, two great points in its favour bt£^»pM maturity and hardiness. As' indicating^the great change which" had "come ovfjH' southern flockowners with regard to tfie^ Leicester, Mr. Brydon mentioned that up fall a few years ago the company could not sell its Leioesters, while there was a great . demand for laocolns. Thiß season they^ had sold 605 Border Leicester rams, 205 , ' Boaraevs, a bd only 50 Lincoln*. : Mr.Y Bidwell, as a North Island ronholdeh'i expressed bis pleasure at hearing suoh '* favorable acoduntt Tof^Ee LeioMferf whioh r had only jusfc. . beeto : introduced here. Experience had proved I ,* he said, > that the Lincoln was toodelieate a sheep to stand wet, the young sheep dying off iv great numbers throngb lunjjfroifo and other parasites, and in his district there was a rush for Bomneys. ' The Ko*th Island Bomney was a closer and denwri , woolled sheep than that of tbe Sooth f \ Island, and he tjwugbt, that. in rich, wet 4 country like that around . "Wboctville it ' would prove the best orbw: '" It WM however,, slow of maturity. Bir John Hall said he had used the English Leicester and was satisfied with everything bat tbe size, but probably tbe Border Leicester woald give a better ojuease and quite as good wool. He got a larger per oenturn ~ of lambs from the Shropshire Downs than the Leioesters, which, was a t*ry im. portantpoint. Mr. Boberts, inreblym*. admitted that the Down brads «w » more lambs than any other breed he lraew A of, but; it was impossible to bin^ei* * feet soutfcl oa rich country. • HsoDMiVvea he was the first to introduce di3terder Leicester , to tbe North Is!sjd& bi* hi* estate in Hawke's Bay. The chance was i foraed upon him by the. extoeme (to&Mcj • of theJDinooln hoggets. TBeland seemed l to be RCttiop "sick" of LmodlnW* For two years past he had been oroseSt his Lincoln ewes with the Leioester, and lorn A they produced a more robust, easier*kepL and in every way more desirable sheep -■ than the Lincoln, except tbat, to a certain extent the dip of wool suffered. HeJud ' not got his returns this year, but latt jw he found the Leicester oross dipped IMb lesß wool than the pure Lincoln. ■ Ehal was, however, cotroterbalanoed by-Hht ' higher price of the wool,' whiaii was worth at least la to l&d a pound more than tbe - Lincoln. But to boa minSiilie most Im* portant point was that the Leicester ensi ' bad produced a sheep, which thrived^on the country, and the afffererice between sheep thriving and the reverse wm the difference between sheep.farming:wod*ss. rally and sheep-farming ruinously* -Hit had tried tbe Southdown i»m on I&tolh t ewes, but was amazed at theenora^os loss of wool ; after the first cross the cHa/ fell to half. The Shropshire and HaSpA shire Down oross with the Xineoln wm ruinous and would not pay anybody. Thl "-■ Bomney Marsh was a good cross, but wm slow of- maturity, and not snoh a kindly feeder as tbe Leicester cross., Hft aifr not advocate the importing;of Leicester!, m in , Scotland carcase was the first consideration, and prizes were there given for ihatp which would not be looked' at in New Zealand. There had also been a great improvement in the Bomneys. Wh«i be first uj3ed the Bomney orpas twenty-two years ago they were a light sheep with fazzy wool, and tbe lambs were oonspiO' ious for very hairy breeches; The Wellington Bomneys be had. seen were quite different sheep, and hs believed tfut they bad a dash of merino. „ • * ' Tri .