SOUTH AFRICAN MERINOS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3380, 25 December 1918, Page 11

SOUTH AFRICAN MERINOS.

SALE OF STUD STOCK

It may be of interest to Australian sheepbreeders to know something of the sales (writes "Jumbuck" in the Pastoral Review) which were held during the first week in September, and which, for the number of sheep entered and the prices realised, constituted a record for South Africa. Some idea of the progress which is being made in the breeding of .merino sheep in that country may be gained from the fact that in all some &000 sheep were entered for the sales, which taxed the capacity of the splendid show grounds at Bloomf ontein • to the utmost, every available shed on the grounds being taken up. It may be stated here that although the quality of the animals entered was in the main of a high standard, as evidenced by the prices realised, still there were a great number whioh should never have been thought of in connection with stud sheep sales, and in a number of cases could not be called good flocks. These, of courso, received # no attention, and had in almost every instance to be returned to the senders. There is a marked tendency in South Africa at the present time (owing to the rapid progress which has been made in merino sheep-breeding) on the part of nearly all wool-growers to aspire to become stud breeders, forgetting the fact that it takes years of careful classing and ruthless culling before they can hope to reaoh the required standard of excellence. The consequence is that almost every other sheepowner considers himself a stud breeder. This year's sales will _ do a lot of good in the way of this idea, and will nerhaps be the means of leading these breeders to content themselves with the cultivation of good flock sheep, and to breed with a view to a more extensive production of the ordinary flocks, giving due attention to carcase, as. well as .wool production. This will tend to bring up numbers, which are badly needed in the country ii

sheepbreeders are ever going to develop the important industry of mutton export. There are hundreds of thousands of acres m the Karoo Belt which comprise some of the first merino country in Africa, and quite equal to some and superior to much of the central sheep areas in Australia, and yet at the present time these areas are only devoted to the ordinary Afrikander sheep, Persians, and such breeds, and even then only sparsely, and this in a country capable of carrying an average of a sheep to about two acres. • The following are some of the prices and averages realised at the sales just concluded :

There was a wide disparity in prices, and in many cases flock rams brought very considerably higher prices than many of those entered as studs. This is the state of the merino sheep rrmrket to-day in South Africa, and an excellent opportunity presents itself to Australian breeders to take up the enterprise of shipping over there 'consignments (when freight becomes avail-' able) of the* better class flock rams and ewes, in addition to first-class studs, which in view of the demand would pay the exporter'handsomely. South Africa can carry millions more sheep than she has at present. Bloemfontein is an ever-ready market, as evidenced by the "fact that the September sales aggregated about £40,000. .

AUSTRALIAN ] BLOOD STUD MERINO RAMS. Number Top Owner. Offered. Price. Average £ £ V. E. R. Pettit .. 6 400 148 P. S. Taylor .. 29 370 42 H. L. Soirthey .. .. 8 205 85 J. S. Miramax .. .. 23 240 95 P. M. Southey .. .. 88 230 40 M. Beamish 6 145 72 A. Imokboff .. 10 180 76 A. A. Kingwell .. .. 7 100 50 M. von. Bulo-w .. .. 8 70 70 R. P. Kingwell .. 28 42 20 AUSTRALIAN BLOOD STOCK RAMS. J. Brodie .. .. ..83 20 8 A. Luckhoff .. 10 20 20 Rubidlge and "Wainwright .. .. .. 64 17 11 S. C. Skaife .. 60 15 7 J. "Wiehahn .. 22 14 9 P. S. Taylor ..44 12 9 R. L. Holmes .. .. 120 11 6 F. C. Bayly .. 29 10 7 B. Watermeyer .. 20 10 8 A. A. Kingwill .. .. 40: 10 8 AUSTRALIAN BLOOD STUD EWES. P. J. Schoeman .. 14 39 34 R. L. Holmes .. .. 10 27 24 P. R Taylor .. .. 21 16 15 TASMAMAN BLOOD STUD EWES. M. H. Louw .. 22 200 30 F. H. Collier .... ' 34 195 25 Sir A. Bailey .. .. 7 137 .63 Roberts and Best .. 10 130 36 Dr E. Goddaxd ... 8 72 33 TASMANIAN BLOOD STUD RAMS. Rubidge and Wainwright .. .. 68 88 20 Sir A. Bailey .. .. 50 23 15 S. Siloook .. ..■ .. 23 20 16 M. H. Louw .. 17 12 8 TASMANIAN BLOOD FLOCK RAMS. A. L. "Wiainwrigbt .. 50 < 5 5 S. H. Rubidge .. .. 20 6 6 F. C. Bayly .. 80 7 7