Sheep Breeding in Marlborough.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 9, Issue 79, 4 October 1898, Page 2

Sheep Breeding in Marlborough.

(By " Jombtjok " in the Weekly Press.)

In the Marlborough district we have so many different varieties of soil and climate that the result is the breeds of sheop vary considerably. Blenheim is one of the best sheep districts in New Zealand, and '**-■ i , x|ow ucninuu, »__ mere 13 good I aiieep-producing land suitable for growing rape and turnips, very much like the Canterbury Plains. One can see farms within five miles of each other varying in value from £4 to £l4 per aore." * '" Some very good flocks of Lincoln Merino cross are to be seen, that compare very favourably with those in any other part of the Colony, for weight of wool per sheep aud price par lb f , with » very fair return for mutton,, flan* U taa r - i -—lr flirffri in tfjj|

North Island can beat them as regards weight of wool per sheep, but there they have gone further into the Lincoln. The wool and mutton are much coarser, and are to-day of much, less value. During the last five years the coarse wool has been selling as well, if not better, than the finer staples, but in the last six months we have noticed a decided drop in the coarse fibres, and a better demand for the finer sorts, which will be much in our favour. As regards the mutton, the first cross Lincoln Merino will always sell well if prime, but when one goes further into the Lincoln the meat is much coarser, and does not command such a good price per lb. at Hpme, as" some of the other breeds do, the carcases also being too heavy in a great many cases for the frozen meat trade of to-day. Every year we see the light sheep coming more into favour, and commanding much better prices than the heavy sheep. This year I have had returns for 471 b. sheep that gave me more per carcase than others of the same shipment of 70 to 801 b. weight. This is a clear proof that they want the light sheep and not the heavy ones. On some of the sheep stations they have the English Leicester cross, and very nice-looking sheep they are. They ought to be the coming sheep in the Marlborough district. The English Leicester-Merino cross has given Canterbury the prominent position it now holds in the frozen meat trade in England, and Blbnheim is so much like Canterbury in every way that I feel sure it will be equally successful in its results in the frozen meat trade.

With our first class Merino flocks, and such large numbers of them, we have an excellent foundation for the most saleable class of sheep for the frozen meat tiade. We have stations that return 81bs. ISoz. and 81b. 14oz. of Merino wool per head. With such heavy-woolled Merino ewes the English |jeipester would be the most suit able sheep to cross with for all round purposes.

My opinion is that the Marlborough district has a great future before it, not only as a fat sheep produping district, but because of the large number of half-bred sheep that will be sold as stores to go south to be fattened on the Canterbury Plains, and sold in London as Canterbury mutton. lam quite sure that ii the sheep are bred in the right way the Canterbury people: \yill not make anv fuss about it, but. Y?ill be only too glad to be able to get sheep equally as good as their own to fill v»p the gap that the exporting of Biich an immense number of lambs jnafces in their flocks every year. When any sheep come from the far fouth we hear a great outcry from the Canterbury people, " These sheep are toe coarEe," aid that is so in a great many cases. Blenheim should be one of the best sheep-pn ducitg districts in New Zealand, and should make for itpelf a name in the fr< zeu meat trade equal to' Prime Canterbury. To do this we must study the best breed of sheep to give us the nice, shoit shaped carcase the London butcher want?. The English Leicester cross sheep will always look well when hanging up, if prime so much better than the longlegged, long-backed Border Leicester, Lincoln, or Eomney, and will sell at a far better price per lb. and fatten on less feed. Some of the sheep-farmers take out their largest-framed ewes and put them to a Down ram to get fat lambs. t like the Southdown best, but 1 know tnbst people prefer the Shropshire. This, I am sure, is a good plan so long as all the lambs can be got away fat. In the Sounds the settlers have come to the conclusion, at last, that Bheep are too coarse, and they are Using the English Leicester ram with very good results. In some places they use the Border-Leicester cross, but" they do not shear the weight of Wool, and are too long in the carcase. For constitution the Bomney is the only sheep that can beat them. On the wet lands in the Sounds the fanners have the Eomneys, and very j*b6d flocks they are. I know they do better on wet land than any other breed, and I have seen some very heavy-woolled sheep in very good condition on some of the heaviest land in the Sounds. If the Marlborough sheep men will only make up their minds to breed the right class of sheep, and ship none but prime quality Home, they are sure to succeed, and they should jnsift on proper grading at the faptory. Nothing but' prime sheep should be allowed to leave the works, With a prime ticket on them; any long sheep be put out »s second class, and go Home under that braqd; J am quite certain that it pays the shipper to do this, and spnig of the ealestoeo can eell i~; s of gecond quality mutton at a very little • less than that of the first if not too heavy, but if the carcases are mixed up with the prime sheep they sell at comparatively low price, and spoil any chance of selling the line ex ship or store* An agent, if he knows that any inferior sheep have been taken put and put under the second class brand, can very oftan make good sales ex ship or store. This classing is the only way to obtain good results and improve the sale of mutton in London, which I think is what we thoalds all aim at in the interests of