SYDNEY SHEEP SHOW

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15659, 13 July 1914, Page 9

SYDNEY SHEEP SHOW

PASSING OF THE MERINO. [from our OWN COUEESPONDEKT. ] Sydney, July 8. The character of the Sydney sheep show is changing. It is every year becoming more of a mutton and less of a wool show. The Merino, the pride of Australian pastures and the great source of Australia's wool supply, was represented this year by only 196 out of 508 entries in all sections. British breeds predominated at the show, and were of a quality that has never been surpassed in the 20 years' history of the exhibition. Mr. 0. H. Ensor, of White Rock, Rangiora, tho well-known Corriedale breeder, giving his impressions of the show to a representative of the New Zealand Herald, said that what had struck him and all the New Zealand visitors most was the way in which the mutton-pro-ducing breeds had come so largely to the front of late years. The advent of the freezing industry was responsible for this change. In New Zealand 20 years ago wool was the prime consideration, but now the call was for sheep for dual purposes. Ninety per cent, of the sheep in New Zealand were Merinos a couple of decades ago, and to-day there were only about 10 per cent, of 'that breed in tha flocks. The demand to-day was for the wool and mutton type combined. Somo of the Lincoln? at the show were the be3t he had ever seen. He considered that as woo! and mutton sheep tho Corriedales at the show had more than held their own. Some' of the Corriedales bred in Australia from sheep imported from New Zealand equalled, if they did not actually excel, the sheep of that breed that had been sent over from New Zealand.

There were a large number of prominent New Zealand sheep-breeders at tho show, among them beinsz Messrs. A. W. Rutherford (Mendip Hills), Thomas Chapman (Mount Palm), S. Townend (Mount Laurie), J. Donthwaite (Waimatc), D. Grant (Timaru), and J Nixon (Killinchic). Mr. Ensor will visit Queensland next week, and not return to Christchurch till about the midrib of September.