WRINKLY OR PLAIN-BODIED MERINOES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2785, 31 July 1907, Page 6

WRINKLY OR PLAIN-BODIED MERINOES.

The animated controversy which was carried on for many years in Australia regarding the merits and defects of the Vermont type of merino appeals to have ceased-, and has been suoceeded v by a comparatively mild argument upon the question whether wrinkly or plain-bodied merinoes are better suited for the general conditions of Australia and more profitable. In this colony neither discussion was of very great direct importance —the Vermont merino was given a pretty fair trial la tihe eighties, -and was rejected, while most of our few remaining merino flocks are built up upon strains which have proved to be adapted to the particular environment in which they were established, and the owners show no inclination to indulge in experiments in breeding. There is still some pastoral country in New Zealand which is held to be capable of carrying merinoes only, but even those strongholds are being steadily invaded by the crossbred, in whfcb the characteristic of hardiness ha« been prominently developed during recent years. The ultimate object of most of the merino nocks is to produce hafflweds to replenish tie best farm flocks, in which meat qualities are quite as great a consideration as is wool- ; bearing. Here something of a paradox is seen : the halfbredfe which command the highest prices year after year —sure proof of, their being profitable sheep —are bred from merino ewes of what is popularly known as the "Murray" type —plain-bodied sheep; while the "Corriedale" sheep^ which is held by its votaries to possess all the good points of the first-cross sheep, is founded an the female side upon the Taamanian merino,' which is more or less wrinkly in type, though most New Zealand' breeders are careful to avoid exc-fsive body wrinkle in, the rains they purc&ase. The rasmanian merinoes of 25 years ago were practically plain-bodied, but when the breeders saw that wrinkles were ! wanted they very soon, prodnced sheep | carrying folds' in the skin almost as heavy as these of the Vermont. Per contra, the owners of Vermont flocks have been equally prompt in responding to the demand which sprang up so suddenly and suisationaUy at the Sydney sales of a year ago for smooth-bodied sheep, and the further paradox was seen at last month's Sydney show of the bulk of the prize© for pbin-bodied merinoes being taken by sheep of Vermont strain. The recent history of merino sheep-breeding' shows that buyers have only to mention the type of sheep they want and the great breeders, either of the Rrverina or of Tasmania, will quickly produce it for them. The wrinkled sheep is primarily a ■wool-bea.re*; the area of the surface of its body and limbs has been increased by the art of the breeder to the greatest possible extent, and the wool packed upon that surface to tbe extremest density, so that it might reasonably be concluded that the climax in wool-produc-ing has been reached. But these woolbeorers do rot find unanimous favour with mutaton-growers, from whom comes the new demand for the plain type; and here the New South Wales and Queensland grazier is at one. with him of New Zealand, even to the favour which the last two or three years has been extended to the South Australian steep. -Meet, if not all, of the strains which have lately bounded into popularity in New South Wales and Queensland are represented in New Zealand flocks. To go back to the time, only a few years ago, when merino wethers formed an important and excellent part of the entries at our fat stock markets, who does not remember the prime sheep from flocks of the "Fisher," "Murray," and other strains which were then marketed? Similar sheep are plentiful in the Sydney market, and would be more co had not the mutton qualities of many flocks been lest in the striving for wool. To regain the lost ground is the aim which has called into requisition the plain-bodied sheep. The frozen meat export trade of Australia is not making such strides as the increase of the flocks of the continent would warrant. The increased production is almost entirely confined to wool, and though this hfjs lately been a most profitable product, the importance of cultivating the frozen meat trade has impressed itself upon many pastoralists ar.d shc-ep-farmers. Ore of the best authorities upon frozen meat declared, after inspecting the meat in a Sydney cold store, that the best mutton which he .saw required only better dressing and better marketing to take a very high position in the trade in the United Kingdom—the quality, for merino mutton, was all that could be desired. *>ome of the [Australian exporters hare adopted improvements in methods since that time. and no doubt as sheep of better quality become more abundant there will be farther advance in the directions indicated. Tk» -will mean a closer competition with certain qualities of. New Zealand mutton, which are even now at times closely pressed in the market by the River Flat© article; and the present trend of sheep husbandry in Australia should be a strong

incentive to New Zealand sheep-farmers to endeavour to improve the quality of their mutton. JThe question of wrinkly versus plain-bod Ted merinoes is of greater moment to them than might at first sight appear.