SHEARING TALLIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21033, 23 May 1930, Page 2

SHEARING TALLIES.

TO THE EDITOR Sir, — Reading in the issue of the Otago Daily Times of March 17 I noticed in your News in Brief column a statement by “ Spectator ” that a shearer, by name Taylor, shearing near Rolleston, in Canterbury. put up the remarkable tally of 355 sheep in 7 hours 40 minutes. It .does not state, however, whether this perfbrm- ' ance was done with the machines or blades, or whether, if by machines, the wide comb and cutter were used. The previous record, I understand, was 305, held by a‘ Maori in Hawke’s Bay, using the wide comb on open-woolled sheep, but in this I may be open to correction. I certainly should have been fortunate in seeing Mr Taylor shear his 355 sheep, especially in the last run, when he is credited with doing the last 20 sheep in 20 minutes. The late .Mr W. A. Corrigall, of Alexandra, Otago, shore 264 sheep at Roeklands Station in January, 1020, shearing with the blades, in the actual working time of 8 hours and 40 minutes, and they were good shearing sheep, but, even so, when one takes into consideration the carrying out from the catching pen to the board, one can see that no time is lost. _ Like “ Spectator,” I also have seen quite a lot of shearing during the past 25 years, including fast Australian machine men and fast New Zealand machine men and blade men, shearing m-’-mos. lialfbreds, and crossbreds, and none of them have approached the 355 mark. I am by no means discrediting ....ectator s ’ statement, nor am I Bug nesting it is an impossible feat, but, perhaps, “ Spectator ” will admit that th» majority of Mr Taylor’s huge tally were aged ewes of the Border Leicester strain with nothing 6n them.—l am, etc. , ' t,. . E. J. Litolff! Mount Direction, Tasmania. April 10.