SHEEP-FARMING IN THE NORTH ISLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 1751, 13 June 1885, Page 7

SHEEP-FARMING IN THE NORTH ISLAND.

Under the heading " Three Monthß in the North Island, by a Southern Shspherd," a corrcßpondeat sands us a long dcs irjplion of sbeop farming at Masterton and other Wellington districts, fiom which we make the following extracts :—

THE WELLINGTON MICA.T-PBESKRVING AND FBBEZINO COMPANJKS

WullinKton uoARtB rf two coin panics of tbics natnre- viz, tha W.-liiugton Meat yresnrvin^ (Jaaipinv and tho Goaf Meid-preserviug Company. The former Company was founded or piosnoted by Mr Bvrbour, .and the latter by Mr Gear, whoße natnd the concern beara. Tha Bavbour Company baa exteueiva works cA Ngabauranga, wh«ro slaughtering is don ', and an exfconsive treczmg coLabli^biuant on Lambton Q lay. The Guar Works are at, Petoao, the Company koeying a steamer lor tho pur j)O30 of transport. The alungut'.iriijg cßi»b lisbrnent being close to i»e water, tha loading of Home vessels ia very inexpeiuiva Tbe O-.»ar Company liave buyera ou both Mast arid West Coasts, who viait tacms a'»d Btatinns. and buy the fat atock on tha aooh The E iaL Coast buyer is Mr A!ox.«a«3er Vl*Kci.'zi(>, atid I have no hesitation in asserting that to his keosi discemijii-nfc aud correct judgment of ml ttock is mainly due tho payiug ot thto haQd^c>lne dividflnd of 10 per cc.it. lo tha ahAi'dhoLierß. Mr M'Kenzia's du l it 6 aro oo pineuurn, aa hois tho chwi purchaaar >n both tho Wellington province and riouth llawke'a 1$ '.y. in order to convoy to my veado's an is,drounto id? a of the dufies afctaeijed to ihin app iiirmsut, I will H?ako a c unpurison thai will oo ro.iaiiy unijei Ifitood. WiiaS; would tbay tbmk if there wav ouly one bayec for tat stock for nil th^t tract i«{ country horn D.iuedm to Invf .caigill, or, say, from Asl burton to W'.itak> '( xih, you luoky landowners of the South, you would not growl at the Addingt m aud B.uu^.iiie markets in the manner you sometimes do if you had undermine this experience. Of cour&o the other Company has ouyevs trio, but tho Gufti' Compißy ("008 far anc] it,\vay tho lion's .-a.uo of the business. Tha purchaser oi tfi-an two CompAuios «nd the bu finnan dona jq country towmhips aro the only outlets ior immense tracts of oesfn'ial'y rnsat-producinpf country both on Cbe limt an i V/eat Coasts. Toe cfheep aru riiiven i>y coutrACG f om wliore they aie bought co the nearest railway asation on tha Wairaiapa rsiilway line, t.ho cattle a,w driven ovor tha Kimutr.ka hill, whiio those rrom the Wosfc Coasi cojcb by c^a'uit.k,' sk'-amew.

A FKRTILE DISTKICf.

Crosaiu# tho RuauuhangA Riv\n 4 by me&na of a substantial wooden biiige of a very old design, we arrive at Mardulorough, a iown obip named at tor tfao Hon. John Martin, who along with his sons owns a lar^s portion of tho lower valloy. Th* onrrouudißp cni.nf.ry Is in the hands of pro&pai'ou • *ot.Uun-, although hero and there ihoro are vaat <.cioiLa&j oi couutvy in the hands of tha monopolist. This valloy runs ritt&t on to the coast, and comprises a, large ev.fcont of land adapted for agricultural purposes. FurfchoL 1 back iios uico sloping Qills, where tho fern has givau placo t.<> Englioh gra&a so luxuriant that it seems impobbiblß to eal; it oil with atock in autnuier, Thoi3 hiile extend right away to the coast. The foru has been pretty well eradioatod on iuo&t oi. (he runu by burning and uutface sowing with grasa-seed. Tho nature of the land on the ranges varies in quality i'roni tracts of rich fertile aoil to burnt red cls*yey upheavals that produce only tho manuka scrub, ti tree, otun'ced fern, and black birch. Among the grass land cocksfoot, forms the principal Bsod used 1 on the hills, and in many of tho cultivated paddocks, too — indeed ifc is hold in high es&imavion by sbesptarmers in th<» North. lam iold that ryegraas doea nofc held tho ground hare more than a, couple of years, but- 1 am led to sußpect that thoro has ?jo?n a considerable amount of annual seed introduced and ua6d in the district. V^ry little atfcentioa is given to turnip growing, for which irha Wairarapa is uiitm'ally adapted s»a well as if not better fclian tsoaihland, baviug a rich soil, nice humicJ climate, aud all other uewssary adiuaefcs. If the demand for frozen meat wore greater, tho supply onuld be erwily supplemented b*y rhc ijlioop-tavmerß giving their attention to root era;, v.

DEFECTIVE SHEKL 1 JIANAGKITEKT.

Tho bUi.t>p m JL«'.;.*(hc£si.usia aud tua lower vsilby ars priocpallv Koniney Mai ah ui>u Lincolo, wi'h i\ f^w flocks of mo-wi-'S nri iho coast. Tto'e are is tfw Li k;. lus of na'i ; t, fclie mo «t noticeable among which are JVl '.Uaatur'H Tuicrata iluck, which are derived fiom ihe stud fioclc of Hay Brothers, of Pigeou Bay. On thiu esfcara hlio &ig come high-grade short bomb that m'.ght Rraoa any imvo havd. with ci'jdib. Tho Jtumrxy, iiuvvyve<\ hnidii thy bw&v ia Ihy district, -md w couisideml febs correct thi»K. They muioubtadly have an Hilvj»jj<«t.'o owv oi-bot' Kficdc v\i sfinoimt «t U'ti

being bo liabln to foot-rot iv heavily-grASood paddockw, hut lha Bupcriority of fiance in weight and price would amply repay expenditure iv koepirg froe from foot-roofc thoso breeds more subject to it. Many of the flocks in Waifiiraiiit arc oroa.ses botweon Romuey Mavah raiflrt aid merino owos. The progeny of these i-i crosßod again with Lincoln rama. This has not had a good ofi'act, a3 would bn obvious to ali sheep-fanuera ot any experience. Then again many flickownors are unwise euouph tv usa half-bred rama, and the consequonce is a deterioration of tiio progeny in constitution, Qj;>c?, and syiumoliy of form, These drawbacks beim acsompajiijd by a feeble cnnalitution, they soon fall a prey to lung- worm, scouting, aud all the ills young shoep are prone to. Should fchay survive their offspring are further enfeebled. Naturov/ill not allovy mau to moii^ralitsG any of the lowar animate without showing hor aversion to the proceedinr. Wo may start with two distinct breads, b;ife hi the offspring v/e must cusfully aad judiciously eeleo); which parent we will breed back on. Tho Oofcswold baa also been vied in many ilooks hero, and iv some phcea is to jumbled up with the Komney, merino, and Lincoln that nnny good judges of ehscp, if asked what brt,ed they wore, would bo quite unable to say.

FAH3ISRS' PESTS,

Sheep-farmers liere have their troubles and pesta. Tha cottonwood scrub is a gieat evil on tha hills. It takas a tenacious hold, and usurps ground so that nothing else is allowed room to grow. The rabbit peat ia also giving some trouble, but it ia only on a small scale compared with what it is in Southland and Olago. Dogs, guns, poisoned grain, and ferrets aro the means employed to exterminate bunny, but with rich herbago aad greou feod I imagine that some of the expert trappors I have si'en South would ptfove rtiore effective* T am of opinion that it is not th 9 Southland o." wild Scotch rabbit that is troublesome hera at all. I believe that it is a ciomeolicated species which under favour Able circumatanc9a ha 11 ! O'?como abundant. 1 bsliove that the wild rabbit, with tho natural advantages obtaining here, would ttvks far more Btringont measures lo keep in check — aud I epsak from experience, for 1 am sotvy to say that 1 know a little too much about tho peat after eight years' residence in Southland and CHago.

Lung-wottn is prevalent hero also, and sheepOrt'nare have fco adopt curative treatment pretty generally. Tho method adopted ia to givo each iamb n teaspoon ful of turpentine in cantor o:l or milk, while some fumigftto with sulphur. T vronld, however, adviao n generoua distribution oi r. ck-salt throughout tha paddocks, jij ali w».putiu havo an antipathy to salt. I have tried it for lung-worm, and found ifc to havo a good effect. I attribute the presence of tb'i troulilo mainly to the injudicious crossing produciotr a debilitated or pulmonary effect on the coubiUution, which assists tho ravages of the Jung- worm iv producing fatal effects Thiu theory i 3 confirmed by the fact that fiookfi in which no crossing has b6on practiced ore cornparativoly free from this pest.

THK FIKST SEW ZEALAND STATION.

Tha fuse ahrep station fakt.n up in tbo Colony jb situated in tho Wairarapa district. Tfc w;;s Bt"i? - hnd by Mcehrn Clifford and V.iva'iouf e'xriy in the year 1844, aud in thn year I^l7 they owned 3200 cheep. Thia waa the '•.'Tlinst boatJnnipg of tho Bheep-farming; in duslry lh»t T can find any authentic racord >.f ; vfl, )ji>Uvithsta7iding tho atari; it received, W»ir«r.ipa i'J far behind tho Southern dibtriola, d'.thou t ,L>. it. po^esses move natural advantager. tnr purnuing this industry than her Sonthera fislovs. On many of tho runs tho improve..tints a io of (ho moat primitive kiud s and •■orao of cuv Southern sheop men would wonder h</w Ibey eoatrive io do their work at n,V. I havo auiiintauud that these runs aro N^^.ivo la. -id, ami not haviug gone through tho Innrt Court tho ot'oupinra have no certainty cf .'crime, ftnd consequently will go to no ex p*>uue, out j:;k along as best th9y can until iutib t inn vhoir present leases expire.