NORTHERN SHEEP-BREEDING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13455, 6 April 1907, Page 8

NORTHERN SHEEP-BREED-ING.

WOOL VERSUS MEAT. QUALITY AMI PROFIT. BY IiItKTHK AIM). [r will Ik> generally admitted tii afc (hij prosperity of New Zealand depends v»ry largely on it- exports, arid tin- value of these depend on* their quality; it follows therefore, that tii<- great.--a - an . should b* taken in breeding. feeding, classification grading, etc., in order that our goods mar take, a foremost plate in foreign markets and command tlie highest pre by slew merit <>! excellence and < Inw <it %. These tiling* being granted, any improvem< nt that can in- made inn-t be of colonial important.-.'. On leading the London quotations for meal. it has been often asked "W'iit does the Southern mutton and lamb fetch ' higher price than that of the North Island?" The an-w-r i-. because tin» .South.'in breeders have studied to raise * da-- of mutton suitable lor the Home marker-, ami have bestowed the utmost judgnun: and cure in breeding and feeding 19 achieve this end.

The question may he a-k.*d, "Could no in in. \orth, it we tried, equal the Southern 111 qualityV" Why not'; Mans years ago the Messrs. Maclean, of l'< nrose, grew at good iS.iiitln'own- a- tee London, or ail y ..•tiler market need a - tor. li we sought 10 improM- the ian<t>e then- is nothing | 0 stop us ! 10111 very .->OOll having our mutton ami lamb quoted as high as the Southern. A shipment of lambs sent from Auckland to London equalY-d the highest price given lor South, and elicited warm praise lrum tile I/ondon sah,\*meu.

it 1- quest loual.le it there is any part of the colony better suited for turnips and rape than the NN'aikato. Here, then, wo have, the mean- for quickly putting the ripe condition on, and. tin- breeding being right it, i* the quick finishing that imparts the tenderness whi,ch is so desirable. 'J h>. farmer who prepare- hi- finishing paddock*. liberally will soon make a good mime, mid his stock will be eagerly sought, and, what i« all-important, bring top prices. It i- penny wise and pound foolish to have good slhn;> hanging round for two or three mouths in medium feed, when a month or si\ weeks in really good : feed would finish them ami turn . t belli into money.

In this article 1 propose to di-c,iM the carcase only. I am led to this by b urtiinjj that, generally, this autumn the breeders ar« selecting Leicester ranis for i-ro-sirg, and neglecting to a great extent the black-faced sheep. No doubt the welcome advance in the price ol woo! i- res|«insible for (lie change, as well as the square, plump (-arcase ol the Leicester for freezing purposes.

The pure Leicester has le.v, loan and more fat than finv other breed, hone© for household purposes it is the most wasteful mutton oik' can buy. Il is suitable for a clitlie whore flic farm labourer sits under the shelter of a holly bush, looking across a snowcovered 1u ii cisca |m*, and lunches will) enjoyment on a chunk of home-made bread and throe or four inches (if solid fat, no matter whether if be bacon or mutton. Its introduction t<> our flocks must of necessity tend! to further waste in the homos of New Zealand, and our large, coarse' mutton is too wasteful as it i-.. Whether the choicest of our sheep have been selected for the Kuglisli markets I cannot sax. but of late 1 note in tile shops of Auckland coarse, inferior mutton. Standing in front of a shop tin- other day. I noticed some looking sheep, and said to the proprietor. "Thus© ate fine sheep: but rather wasteful, tiro they not? I can so the fat. but where is the lean?" lie replied. "Yon may well say that; I have just cut 1 ilb fat olf to get. ?11> of (hops." hen we remember that .such paring- rarely "-ell for more than half their prime cost, these wasteful whoop make a sad inroad on the salesman's profits, while the. shoulder and other nails are simply useless in the family, f appeal to '•itch parents n J may read these -words- whether, when they arc carving the joints and ask the children.

Will von lake moat?" the reply is not

"A little, please, but no fat'.'" Our pioneers, with their British constitution*, could manage their share of fat, but not the colonial-bom. and I am told (lie rising generation is growing more fastidious every year. Hence our breeders have the difficult task before them of .catering, for the appetites of people born in different climes. ,

(•no thing is certain--t lie nearer wo keep to tin" blackface** the mom shall we. win in 1111 :> Ii v and economy, and I lie further no •stray Irom them I lie more shall we Buffer ill those n'-]i<Mts. The late Mr. Alfrinl HuckImikJ. lii ii] whom there were few Itetter judge* of (jiiuliiy, used I<> .s;iv that, "for flavour and sweettm.-s a young Merino m* hard to beat, hut of Kriti*li sheep a wellhung let? of a ripe Southdown, served with bbicl; currant Jelly, was a dish fit. for * king." We have also to hear in mind lint tile breeder while going for wool may lose in the carcase what he wins in the flips', for the butcher will give more or lens per head according to the Ineed. I lei knows which is most economical and will please his customers liest. ami what suits Auckland will likewise, suit the large citieis and maim* lactniiuK centres of the Old Country.

The Lincoln is a coarse sheep of distinctly inferior flavour, and except, when crossed it of lit tie -o for i xuorf.

The I'omney has a good-flavoured carcase. Some year.i since I was slaying for some '-vecks on a sheep station of some. 8000 aire-. I'd to in* previous autumn their flick had consisted of pure Hoirmeys, when, with the idea of "citing early lamb*, they had introduced Southdown ram* to wellselect Mil vomer Komney ewes. The first, draft of lambs from this cross was made while. I was there. Their early fitness was proved »v nil (except about ten) l>eing passed liv i lie Freezing Company's buyer, while of the pure I'omney lambs hardly a score were ready. The manager -aid to rue: "That's the style: this has taught me a lesson. \ow they ate turned into money, and I have the rape and grass ready for others." This was not all, for, on receiving the returns from Wellington a few days later, lie showed me a footnote saying that "the halfbred* had turned out so well that they had p'easiire in allowing one shilling per head more than the contract price." which was very sat i-factory. Hoe* the halfbred or SI ron-hir-' pay in other respects? If th« breeder gets jil per lb more for the 6011) sheep, or 2-- 6d, it is e<pial to 31b of wool at lOd per lb. so thai we can do with 31b less wool in the fleece and yet be as forward. Besides this, we must remember that the Down cross makes a hardier sfyeep. better forager, and lives on less food than the longer flfeced sheep. The Shropshire has beMi the favourite sheep in the Midlands for nigh a century, and -till remains so. It is ail ideal sheep for freezing- short legged. plump, and catches (he eye. The discriminating I»n* don salesmen, will give too prices. for it. a* liev can get, their price from their aristocratic customers.

On. another large station where f »«'< staying their flock wa- Merino on flomnev. This r rose gaM- an ex'e'lenl fle-hy sheep, rather leggv and angular, that would not cut into (piiic sin plump and pretty joint« as ,-oiru' oilier crosMv, but a very economical shei p fe;r tlo« family and butcher. Many thousands wore -"tit t.i I/mdon, and gave iirear -I. i-fiictioii. whil" very few were rejected al toe local v;irds. One would think that a cross between the Southdown and r.oice-'.T both lieing short lagged, joiiiiili, and -(piate would give .'in ideal sheen for freezing purposes. Such « i id-- would not be unlike, the Shropshire.

Soni<> years sine it was the fashion to rrn-< l)eiween Southdown and I,iri<s>ln. Tne product was net a bad sheep, but it could not lie called fir c c!a.-s mutton.

Perhaps these notes may induce repli'l- - exnorionccd breviers-, and thus throw more light on tin- -übjei t, so important -> Ihe colony.