THE SHEEP FARM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15554, 11 March 1914, Page 14

THE SHEEP FARM.

— ♦ ItY J.B.M. The features of a sheep farm to come under observation are the soil, the drainag.c tho herbage, the climate, and the shelter, and the more one knows about their bearing the more exactly may he determine the capacity and value of a property for the purpose of sheep-farm-ing. flie ideal soil for sheep is recognised as a sandy loam, or one of a gravelly texture, with a porous or gravelly subsoil. There are. all sorts of modifications in soils however, and so long as the natural drainage of the country is good, by porosity or waterflow, the land is invariably adapted for sheep. Where the Boil is heavy and grows the herbage coarse and rough it is more suited to rattle grazing. Limestone soils are good for sheep raising; in fact a great part of the sheeplands throughout the world exhibits a greater or less proportion of limestone in its composition, visibly or upon analysis. Limestone and sandstone land ■will carry healthier sheep and raise healthier lambs than any other soils, for they better supply the requirements "of the animal. The sea coast lands, often rough and rocky and of a sandy nature, suit sheep well, and so do the carboniferous soils of the coal regions. The class of soil in which the Leicester and Shropshire, breeds are found in England is composed of red sandstone; the Southdown breed on the chalk hills; tho Lincoln on the alluvial limestone flats, and the Cotswold on l.mestone hills. And, journeying to Scotland, the Blackface and Cheviot breeds spend their freo and independent lives on the rough hills and mountains where limestone and sandstone are conspicuous. Question of Drainage. Drainage may be by porosity of soil as exemplified by sand? soils and loams, or, on the stiller lands, by the, escape of waters into creeks and rivers. Hilly and rolling country are well adapted for sheep, there is ready drainage; while swamp and wet sodden land is quite unsuited to them. Where the land is such that water stagnates and finds no ready escape the health of a flock is affected, and such land, given a wet season or two in succession, will do much damage to fine sheeps' health and correspondingly to ihe profits. The original haunt of the sheep was the hilt or' the mountain, and the animal was naturally therefore accustomed to a dry footing, which it requires if health is to be maintained. By skill in breeding and with the assistance of time, some breeds have been established to accustom' themselves and to thrive on flat lands, the Leicester, for instance, but the drainage must be good or they will not do well. The health of a hill flock does not require the attention that one on the flata would. The hills provide better drainage, sweeter grasses and exercise towards the maintenance of health. Damp and undrained land, with its growth of reeds, flax, rough grasses, is more adapted to cattle, and unless it forms but a small part of the property bheep are better absent from it. The conditions all round for sheep-farming in New Zealand are so favourable that there are not a great many properties that arc not adapted for the grazing of sheep, mainly, or in conjunction with other stock. A good proportion of the shorter grasses should be in evidence upon a sheep farm. Such grasses do well on limestone and sand- 1 stone soils. There are hard or Chewing's fescue, sheeps' fescue and crested dogstail, and two or three of those may be observed in proportionate accompaniment of such grasses as cocksfoot and white clover, and it the soil is not too hard or dry, with some meadow foxtail and timothy. The two latter are excellent sheep grasses where the ■oil is of a good and retentive nature, but will not thrive on dry hills, where crested dogstail, a splendid sheep grass and drought-resister, does well. New Zealand can claim to having the finett- climate in the world for sheep-farm-ing, being neither too hot, too cold, too wet or too dry. The annual rainfall over the greater part of the Dominion is not too great for sheep comfort, and it 's fairly well distributed throughout the year, assuring an even growth 'of grass. There are exceptional seasons, naturally, but an incidence only in comparison to Australia, South America, and South Africa, where sheep-farming is a leading occupation and droughts bear telling effects- A very wet climate is undersirabie for sheep; they do not get a dry footing, and continuous rains, accompanied by cold, biting winds, will undermine the. : constitution. Sheep will overcome any temporary hardship, but unsuitable weather, long-continued, will put them off the feed and pave the way for the encroachment of disease. Importance of Shelter. The shelter features of the sheep farm are of importance, and the ileal shelter is composed of patches of bush or plantations suitably distributed throughout the property, and in such places as they will best temper the prevailing winds. Shelter will make the climate more equable for stock will improve tho pasture and make its growth earlier and more sustained throughout the year, winter and summer, will lessen the asperities of rough weather, and will make the stock more contented. A well-sheltered sheep farm 2000 ft above Wit-level may bo said to be better than one but 200 ft above sea-level that has no shelter, and is bleakly subjected to the biting winds of winter and bleaching winds of summer. Well-sheltered stock will require much less feed to keep up condition ; b"dy heat and energy are conserved. It is not too much to say that the most useful and payable improvement that could be undertaken upon the great majority of New Zealand farms is shelter planting. 'Hie climate is at any rate a windy one, and to take steps to moderate the effects of tho cold blasts of winter and the scorching winds of summer would add greatly te> the income of the tarmer. Besides, it so much improves the look of a place, and needless to say the value. A shelterless farm may be appropriately likened to a hearthstone without a fire in winter, and with a fire in summer. Aspect of the country, where it is hilly, may give one farm much better natural shelter titan another. Hills or ranges favourably situated will temper the winds. The lay of the land to the sun is a considerable matter in hilly country. The sunny side will carry more stock than the shady side, and where the laud lie* badly to the daily swing of the sun's rays in a valley flanked by high ranges, it is not to be compared to the other side of the valley that enjoys the beneficial effects of the sun, healthful alike to jsoiJ, plants, mi stock.