THE ROMNEY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6313, 13 September 1907, Page 3

THE ROMNEY

SOMETHING OF THE HOME POSITION. THE ELK AM FEOCK. A bnod of sheep which is becoming more fclio national typo of Now Zealand than any other is the Romney, or Kentish sLeep. In numbers it is easily the most popular 1)rood in the country, ind in tlio North Island it is supremo. One mason for this is the general-pur-pose character, the good fleece and tho remarkable hardy nature of the breed. Tho Komney thrives in environment of great variety, and is profitable in .localities whoro sheep of other breeds would go to pieces. The main objective of breeders in this country being tho tieoco, there lias been a tendency to develop this at the expense? of constitution. Chi the oilier hand, the breeders of England give considerable attention to mutton qualities, and, by reason of the severity of their climate and tho exposed nature of their country, are compelled t-o attach great importance to constitutional points- So that what the New Zealand Komney lacko the English Komney po.tV’sscs. The need of import od blood to tone up our flocks and give them some of their lost. liUunina is, therefore, apparent. An inspection of the string of pedigree Koruneys introduced by Mr E. Short, and brought by the Corinfchic, eho wt* wherein the Euplish blood will benefit the Komneys of the dominion. Though seen in tho Wool, the winning ram at the Royal Show has apparently fine symmetry, magnificent carriage, great bone, and a splendid head, strongly set on to gxid shoulders, lie stands well over a lot of ground, and is strong in every part, 'll; oh cop throughout show vigorous constitution. Mr Frank File, a sou of Mr C. File, who bred the pick of the importation, including the ram refened to, came by the Corinthic on a visit lo the dominion. Opportunity was taken of his presence in 'Wellington to secure some idem of the Komney in its native country 7, and how it is manage.! on Kentish farms. Asked how the Komney uuwxl in England to-day in compaifion with oilier breeds, Air File said it was coming rapidly to the front, due to the {o.c:gu demand end the price of wool. And, on aocoux.. of the JaU'r fact, mere attention was being paid to the quality of tho Komney fleece. Th • chief end of English breedera in tl.. p-j.-t had been tho production of big slmeo of good character and constitution. In the Elham flock the ideal aimed at has been more of the Now Zealand type—a good iwunpact carcase of strong character and with a good fleece covering tho body well at all points. Replying to a request for his opinion on how the Kcnuiey in England compared with the Elncoin from a profitMiakmg point of view. Mr File naturally made out a ca.so in favour of the Kom- ? e y> but it is u case which experience in this country supports. He contended that tho Komney would shear more wool per acre than the Lincoln, for, although the latter might carry a heavier fleece, the same number as the Komney cannot be maintained on a given area of ground. Ihe Komney was also tho hardier sheep. It was undoubtedly tho typo lor the ordinary farmer in" this country.

■ , d ° ,- TO ,“ find Komaey mutton sell mi England, Mr File f Somo butchere, AXr l-’iie replied, want iiltio sheep for a certain high-class trade; it was *i mistake to assun;e that the mid-dm-classes preferred the small joint. Ino small sheep made more money retail in England than the his sheep, but they did not return the same price over all when _the wool was taken into account. Mr J-lie has an uncle in the meat line, his establishment being at a sea port : 0W^:„, Tiu; slltu l- ) he buys run from at lb to 1121 b dead weight, and he won't look at lesser weights. His trade is largely with hospitals, a military depot and other large institutions. Mr iile knows all about the exhibition of sheep, and he was requester f> ro ," eorne 'ight on this subject. i hug kind. he said, show sheep have to be highly fed, as it is no use showing lour sheep unless .they are in prime xocdition.

“* hat about colouring and trimming? ~Th» Romney, Mr bile declares/ is not cols .'.red for exhibition purposes like ooiuf other sheep. The Lincoln is coloured with a dirty brown ochre, and the Downs with a light red ochre. Mr File v admitted, however, that all breeds, to a rfertain extent, are faked before showing.

Show sheep, Mr File explained, are artificially fed from a fortnight old. Lambed in April they are prepared forth,with for the show season, which lasts from June to August. They are then whom and fed for the following show teason, being again shorn in six months' time, about the first of March. During the winter they run out in the open, bnt on being shorn in March aro housed and are maintained under cover till the shows again come round. After their first show they are fed on the easy si.'t till Christmas on oil cake and roots or aabbage. After Christmas they continue on the same feed, but aro fed a lift r harder. When housed they are taken put for exercise in cold weather for an i'v.ur or two. and on warm da vs they allowed to run out and in the shed «< they like. The sheep imported to New -aland have probably been receiving ’ If a gallon of corn and a goad quantity roots as their dailv diet. It follows ■ hat if these sheep are to-come out . well in _the dominion they must have some artificial feed to start their new life with. Subsequently they could be gradually broken in to the conditions pertaining in the dominion. In reply to the question as to how pedigres rams, not kept for exhibition, were fed. Mr File said these were fed all the time they were with the ewes to ihe extent of IMb to 1 Quart of com a day, bnt with the advent of spring and grass they were allowed to run under absolutely natural conditions until the following breeding season. Ml File consented to give some parti’ulars of the Elharn Flock, which his family founded, and has developed to such a high standard. The flock, he •dates, has been in existence since 1836. Jt was developed to the old Romney ideal, and it was one of the first flocks registered, when the Romney Flock Book was established in 1898, its number in the book being 8. It was in 1891 that sheep from the flock were first exhibited, and at the first show a first was secured in the yearling owe class. This was at. Tunbridge 'Wells. From that on success followed success. At the Royal Shows of England the Elharn Flock has put up a great record. The first prize for aged rams (championships are not given at the Royal) has been gained for years at a stretch. In 1904 it lost this coveted honour, the first time for a number of years, having to be then content with u second and a third. Of the three El-

, liam rums which havo won in this class since liK>i two have come to this country. Air G. Wheeler, oi FLuicoaUie, imported the I‘JOG winner. The UJOS winner went to South America. At the late Koyal Show' the iir»t six rajas in the yearling ram class—in which a File sweep was first—were by rams from the Flham Flock. At the present time there are I-uU Flock Book breeding owtn in the flock. During the post season there has been sold by Air File eleven sheep to this country, four to the Falkland Islands, six to Canada, and ten to the Argentine, and the buying sensou has not yet terminated. Asked for some description of the country on which the Flhain sheep are reared’ Air File said iiomney Juarsh proper is a low-lying stretch of country below llio hills, and is locally called “lu the Vale/’ It is very flat and very wet. As a consequence, sumcicnt root crops cannot be grown for the wintering of lambs, which have to lx* sent into Sussex. On the hill country of Kent, however, all the stock can bo wintered, for the reason Mint can be folded; and the sheep are folded all the year round. The lambs arc started at a fortnight old on kale, being subsequently put on cabbage, on which they are kept for some considerable time. They are finished off on turnips and swedes. The File farm I'Flham, Canterbury) is on the hills, and tho method of feeding adopted is that described above. It is claimed by Air File that Itomneys bred on tho higher lands of Kent are of a vigour and character which is seldom or never approached bv bred in the Vale. Mr File intends to visit the loading shows of the country, and come in touch with T’auinoy breeders in the different districts.