SHEEP FOR FREEZING.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVII, Issue 11226, 25 March 1897, Page 5

SHEEP FOR FREEZING.

THE WELLINGTON COMPETITION. |_Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, March 24. At the Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s show in November last there were two classes for freezers, the same sheep. being allowed to compete in both classes. The conditions of one class were that the sheep must not exceed a fixed dead weight of 741 b, the weight of the individual sheep shown being left to the opinion of the judge. The condition originally attached to the second class was that sheep must not exceed a specific live weight of 1251 b. All the exhibitors, however, agreed that that condition should be waived and that the judge should award the sheep their places irrespective of that condition. The result was that one pen of sheep, namely, those shown by Mr S. Garforth, of Christchurch, which was thrown out in the first competition through being, in the judge’s opinion, over-weight, was awarded first prize in the second class where this condition had been withdrawn. The sheep in the second class, representing both North and South Island breeders, were then sent to England to be judged on their merits, no announcement being made of the relative position of the different exhibits at the show. There were altogether seventy sheep which, for the purposes of competition at Home, were numbered by the Wellington Meat Export Company, through whom they were sent, as follows : James Stuckey, No. 12 ; Williams and Beetham, 13; James Stuckey (second exhibit), 14 ; S. Garforth, 15 ; Bidwell Bros., 16 ; W. C. Buchanan, 17; Williams and*Beetham (second exhibit), 18. The report of the English judges, Messrs W. and E. Fletcher, came to hand by the last mail, as follows: “ After careful examination of this consignment we have unreservedly awarded first honours to the ten carcases marked 17. The ten carcases marked 14 are the next best lot, and then follow the lots marked 18, 16, 15 and 12, respectively, in order of merit. We regret being unable to complete a report on the above carcases in time for this mail, but the same shall follow by next mail. The order of the different competitors is therefore as follows: —No. 17, W. C. Buchanan; No. 14, James Stuckey; No. IS, Williams and Beetham ; No. 16, Bidwell Bros. ; No. 13, Williams and Beetham; No. 15, S. Garforth ; No. 12, James Stuckey. We may mention that Messrs W. Weddel and Co. referred to some of these sheep as follows : —' At Smithfield to-day a line of thirty Wellington Southdown sheep, marked W. M. E. Co., sold at the fancy price of 4|-d per lb, though Canterbury are not quoted at even 3gd.’ These Southdowns were, we consider, the best sheep we have ever seen frozen. Can you tell us anything of"their history and breeding ?”