Blackfaced Sheep.

Otago Witness, Issue 2862, 20 January 1909, Page 23

Blackfaced Sheep.

TO THE EDITOR. Sin,-In one of your recent issues I was Wt<*x<pA to ccc that the black-faced sheep Kd lound Tch^pion in Mr **«££ 1 only wish he had 6«ne a' little further m what'he had to say m their behalf. With ,our permission, let me say what has mad© them so popular. It is then- hardiness. It has b&en found, where they have supplanted the Cheviot, that land can carry 25 per cent, more than that of the Cheviot, and they are not so liable to die 01 sicknec- The Cheviot is a gross-ieedmg sheep, and not so active as the black face. In. f<vt alter weaning time the latter keep to" the highlands. They are not particular about the marshes, where there are no fences. There are great tracts of country I could mention in the south of Scotland , where I haio seen the very best of the black faces. I used to attend the Lanark fair for some years, and have seen all the breeders mentioned by Mr Robertson. The Coddonhead second ewe lambs then topped the market at 235, with the Glentress a good second at 2Ls 6d, while any amount brought 18s, 19s, and 20s at the first gale. Now, I wish I could say that their advent will improve our New Zealand sheep. How they will crose with the merino remains to be proved. Their wool is of no commercial value at Home : it is worth 4d and a great many clips are sold for 3id per lb. and only good rough hoggets will bear 61b of wool. It was not the woo! we looked to— that was a secondary | consideration ; it was, what would pull , through the winter. Ewes about four years old would scarcely shear 3lb of wool. One thing let me say in conclusion aboirt the selection made : The flock of Mr Aachibald is the very b£-=t in tho of Scotland, and I do not know of any man in my time that did more 1o improve tho black face sheep than he did. If our New Zealand breeders aie d<»=>rou^ of improv- J ing the "breed of sheep for the fat lamb ' market, I would adviea them to brinjy out i the Oxford Down. These pheop bring from Is to 2s 6d more at all the south of Scotland sales than any other cro^bred. From figures before me I quote the Oxford at 265, Oxford crossbred 24s 3d, other crr«sbreds 18s, 19s 6d, 20e. and 22s 6d. Now ihat we in New Zealand are .seeking to breed for fat lambs, I would recommend tho moot popular sho^p on th« market. — I am. etc.. A. Aitkex. The Glen, January 11.