SHEEP FOR WEMBLEY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 143, 21 May 1925, Page 11

SHEEP FOR WEMBLEY

INTRODUCING CORRIEDALB BREED. An important move in tho direction of introducing the Now Zealand breed of Corriedale sheep to English and overseas pastoralists will be made this week, states the Dominion. A shipment of two stud shearling rams and four stud ewe hoggets will leave for England by the Runiiine to-morrow. This will be the first consignment of livo sheep to be exported to England from the Dominion, and hopes are entertained that it will lead to a demand for Corriedalcs by sheep owners in Great Britain and other countries. The sheep will be shown at the Wembley Exhibition on the site occupied last year by tho Maori house. The sheep in question, which were bred by Mr H. T. Little, of Hui Ilui, Woodgrove, North Canterbury, were exhibited on the lawn at Parliament Buildings, Wellington, on Monday morning, and attracted a great deal of interest. Amongst, those present were the lion. W. Nosworthy (Minister of Agriculture), lions. J. G. Coates, A. D. McLeod, and Sir Heaton Rhodes, Dr. C. J. Reakes (Direc-tor-General vof Agriculture), Mr J. DRitchie (Land Purchase Commissioner), Mr H. T. Little (breeder of the sheep) and Mr J. W. Collins (secretary of the Department of Industries and Commerce).

CONDITIONS OF ENTRANCE TO ENGLAND. The conditions under which the New Zealand sheep will be allowed by the British Ministry of Agriculture to land in England are that they are to be accompanied by a certificate from a Govern-, ment veterinarian that they are free from foot-and-mouth disease, sheep-pox, or similar disease; that their fodder on the passage Homo is similarly approved; and that they bo segregated from human beings On arrival in England the sheep will be detained in quarantine for 28 Mr Abraham, of Abraham and Williams, Ltd., by whom the shipment is being sent Home, stated to a newspaper representative that they hoped, through the advertising which was going to be done in England and in the Argentine that the venture would result in a profit, besides having the effect of introducing the breed to eneepbreeders from all parts of the world. _ HISTORY OF BREED. In the early ’6o's Mr James Little came out from Scotland in charge of a consignment of Romney Marsh sheep 22 ewes and 9 rams —which went to North Otago to the order of Dr. Webster and Mr Aitken, who had two properties in that district, one of which was called “Corriedale.” The land on which the Romneys were placed was covered with native tussocks, and Mr Little saw that _as the number of sheep increased the maintenance of a Romney flock on such pasturage would be a difficult mater. At this period the merino practically held full sway over the sheep lands of the South Island, and it throve well on the native feed, which was all lhat was available in those days. These were the times before tho freezing industry, and when wool was the main consideration for the eheepowner, so it can be readily seen that the Romney under such circumstances was not the most profitable type of sheep. Mr James Little, when he first mentioned that he could breed a better type of sheep than either the Lincoln or the merino, wis ridiculed, but when he met with success with his Romney flock, gaining a largo number of prizes and obtaining big money for rams i’rom Canterbury farmers, Dr. Webster gave him permission to go ahead with experiments. He set to work in 1878 to build up a flock, and started out by buying? tli'e biggest-framed and sturdiqstlooking merino ewes he. could get. # lie crossed these ewes with stud Lincoln rams, from the flocks of Dr. Webster and Mr George Sutton, of Southland. From the progeny of these ewes a heavy cull was made, 20 of the best rams being retained for service. These were mated with the pick of the halfbred ewes. Mr Little’s idea was to get the solid, wellshapes carcase of a Shropshire or a Southdown well covered with a good staple, with the best quality halfbred wool. Before all things he put constitution, recognising that to make the breed worth while he must evolve a sheep that would bo able to fend for itself in any circumstances. The result was apparent in the descendants which were exhibited at Parliament Buildings. Their heavy fleeces, - compact frames, and general utility appearance were favourably comented upon on all sides.