PATAGONIAN SHEEP FLOCKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3864, 3 April 1928, Page 13

PATAGONIAN SHEEP FLOCKS.

ANIMALS . FROM' NEW ZEALAND MR D. M. PHILIP INTERVIEWED. AUCKLAND, March 26. For the improvement of its fast-grow-ing sheep flocks Patagonia is looking to New Zealand for animals of stud quality. Mr D. M. Philip, of the Dunedin branch ©f Messrs Dalgety and Co., Ltd., returned to Auckland by the Remuera yesterday after having made his third trip to this southern extremity of the Argentine Republic with sheep from the Dominion. Mr Philip left Port Chalmers on December 2.3 with 455 stud Corriedale and Romney sheep bought by his firm on behalf of a number of Patagonian sheep owners. With the loss of only one. which died just as the ship reached the roadstead of the shallow harbour of Punta Arenas, the flock arrived in good condition. In all, Mr Philip has now taken to Patagonia about 1000 sheep, mostly New’ Zealand Corriedales, with a sprinkling of Australian merino rams. “ Sheep farming in those low latitudes of South America,” said Mr Philip, “ is developing rapidly, although as yet it has not assumed nearly its New Zealand proportions, and Patagonia continues to look to the dominions for accretions to its quality flocks. A record season with a prolific lambing has been experienced there this season.” . ■ Mr Philip, by way of. illustrating this, said that in ewe flocks of 100,000 to 500,000 the lambing percentages this spring had averaged up to 107 per cent., a result Which, taken over such large numbers of . sheep, was calculated to create envy in ‘the mind of the’ New Zealand pastorirfint. A land of low winter temperatures conducive to copious snowfalls, Patagonia, said Mr Philip, had its climatic-problems as a grazing country, because supplementary fodders; and crops for fattening purposes were' not easily grown. -One'result was that surplus stock not fit for export in the season were simply killed for boilingdown purposes, for there : were not the facilities which existed in.-. New Zealand for bringing their condition ,up -to export *■ Tfcindard. Not a few of v t.he holdings we're of. htme proportions, the property of large s.companies, which, owned several areas, that corresponded, witlr New Zealand tc runs,” but these ’were- so great in acreage.as to each carry 80,000 to 100,000 sheep.' .‘ Shearing was ddne' for the most part by Chilean natives who used machines : 6f the type common in this country. Soil of a light porous nature and a h>w rainfall of 12in to 15in a year admirably suite ' .the Qorriedale sbreed, which \iaS now firmly established in the favour of South American sheepmen. That there existed scope for the exnansion of- sheep farming in this region was indicated by works of reference *on Patagonia. The country east of the Cordilleras consisted of vast . .plains traversed by low ranges of hills and easterly-flowing rivers, Although a great deal of the country was sterile, and much of the surface was covered by stony layers alternating with sand dunes, the land toward the Straits of Magellan was more fertile and wooded. Fresh water in many areas was scarce, but many salt or brackish lakes and pools occurred. The western or Andean region was particularly fertile, and the valleys and coast region afforded tracts suitable for tillage or pasture. An interesting provision-named by Mr Philip as an attempt. by: the republic to prevent outside capital gaining. an undue influence in Patagonia was that 75 per cent. of. the share capital of the companies running ; sheep should be held by native interests^': ? ' - • - - ’