GOOD DRAFT OF LAMBS

Southland Times, Issue 23740, 11 February 1939, Page 19

GOOD DRAFT OF LAMBS

Big Line Sent From

Otahuti PREVIOUS SUCCESSES EQUALLED Among the Southland farmers who regularly secure outstanding drafts of fat lambs from the ewes, the success of Mr William Ford, of Otahuti, is well known. His returns this season have been particularly satisfactory and show that the property has been brought to such a high state of fertility that equally good results can be obtained in wet and dry seasons. From 1150 ewes, Mr Ford tailed 1520 lambs of which 1311 were drafted on February 1 averaging 41.1811 b. Only five lambs in the line were graded seconds, three being rejects. The lambs were the product of the mating of crossbred Romney Marsh ewes with

Southdown rams. Last year a draft of 1367 lambs was taken and averaged 37.281 b. The main drafts in the three previous seasons were about 1100 lambs each year with the average weights ranging from 36.801 b to 40.061 b. Considerable quantities of lime have been used on this farm. About one ton to the acre has been applied when permanent pastures have been soWn down, the grass mixture consisting of perennial ryegrass, clover, cocksfoot, timothy and dogstail. Subsquent applications of about half a ton of lime have been applied every two or three years, burnt lime being preferred, but in recent years carbonate of lime has been used because of the difficulty of sowing in windy weather. For topdressing not more than two bags of superphosphate have been applied early each autumn. The farm carries more than 100 head of cattle which are distributed in various paddocks with the sheep, making it difficult to calculate the carrying capacity of the property to the acre.