HIGH-PRICED WOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11871, 24 January 1902, Page 7

HIGH-PRICED WOOLS.

[B* A.M.D.] i' All those engaged in sheep-raising are, at the , present time, very anxious, to know what is to be the outcomo of the present low price ruling for i crossbred wools, and £ are naturally considering how best they may obtain the Jangeat returns from their : flocks. With the exception of those who ; . breed early lambs and live , handy to the ; principal / market, . most ; woolgrowers / would consider a sheep of a suitable size for freezing, say, 651b, and giving a fleece of, say 71b • or 81b, worth': 5d per/ lb, the; most payable at this time. This cross; is the < one I propose to bring before your notice. _ Stoekowners in this 1 district have raised many objections to the use of Merino rams, and these I will deal with'later on. r In the meantime I propose to give ' a short descrip-, tion of V the Merino—this would not, perhaps, : portray the I culls which have mostly been used in this distriofc -" and which ■ have ; given the breed such a bad name. The Merino is a well-set-up sheep on short legs, exceedingly hardy, being covered from nose to toe : with' a ; very :, dense fleece of fine quality, and full of character. They• thrive well on either rich or poor country. The ram fleeces weigh from 181b to 301b;: flock,- from 81b to 101b. \; ,; ~'i The effect of a Merino cross on a flock is very lasting ; (six /or seven years). The wool is . the most useful of any, and is always in demand. At the present time half- 1 bred Merino : wool of average quality and condition is selling /in - Auckland at from 5d to 6d per lb, while the best is fetching , as high/ as 7d. _ , Three objections are raised against the use ;of Merino rams: That tho carcase is too small for the butcher, ; that ' they are subject to foot-rot, and they will not keep bounds in a small place. " ' - .'/.): With regard to the first . objection it is a fact within my personal knowledge that the first cross between Merino and Lincoln has. produced two-tooth ) wethers . so heavy that they, have been rejected by the Freezing and producing a fleece of 71b to 91b in weight. f •So far as the second, objection is concerned it is admitted Merinos do not thrive on wet soils, but so long as the. land is at all hilly' there should be no trouble with foot-rot, but even supposing a little paring of the feet is found necessary occasionally, tho • enhanced value of the cross is worth the trouble. . > The third objection of the roaming propensities of the ..Merino is all nonsense. Sheep which have had the run of thousands of acres with no fences to bother them cannot be expected to settle down; all at once in/a 50-acre paddock. But there are plenty, of rams to bo obtained which are as docile as the fattest Lincoln. ;/'■ From my knowledge of Auckland wools it is apparent that buyers as a ride are content with a very medium class ram, which is, to say the least, poor policy, as the carcase as well as the wool suffers. A halfpenny to a penny _ per lb on the wool and sixpence to a shilling per head on the carcase will soon pay . the difference botween an inferior and a good ram. .: I cannot close this article without pointing out that the bulk of the wool grown in Auckland suffers from want of stylo and character, ; and : while the , wools , have . been greatly improved there is still room for improvement. This is the fault of putting large sheep, Lincoln, etc., on grass which is nat rich enough for them, with: the result that the* sheep do not thrive and the wool is cotted and poorly grown. Wool is a suro index as to tho condition of the sheep, and I am certain bettor rosulta would be obtained by going in for a smaller carcase . and more of them, for ■, growers must remember that it is the best policy to look at the.result at so much per: acre, and not at per head alone. If sheep-breeders will give this cross a trial, and by selecting Merino rams of sound constitution and large frames, I feel certain they will be pleased with the result. -