UNIFORMITY OF TYPE

Southland Times, Issue 24012, 30 December 1939, Page 10

UNIFORMITY OF TYPE

N-Z- CORRIEDALE VISIT BY SHEEP AND WOOL EXPERT Because of low wool prices, Victorian sheep farmers are showing considerable interest in the fat lamb trade, says The Australasian. Evidence of this is shown in the visit of Mr N. A. Bowman, sheep and wool expert, of the Victorian Department of Agriculture, who was recently in New Zealand inspecting studs of sheep of British breeds, particularly the use in New Zealand of Romneycross ewes for fat lamb production. Unfortunately Mr Bowman had to cut short his visit, but before he left he described his impressions of New Zealand sheep.

The New Zealand Corriedale, said Mr Bowman, was notable for its uniformity of type, particularly in the head, but it was of less wool value than the Australian type. Mr Bowman is the only nonbreeder member of the Australian Corriedale Association, but he controls breeding on many farms which have large Corriedale flocks. He is also an inspector of the Victorian Corriedale Association. „ , Questioned on the New Zealand Romney, Mr Bowman said that the quality of the sheep was, to his way of thinking, the pinnacle of perfection. New Zealand sires would be of benefit to Australian studs. The Romney had not until lately been highly regarded in Australia, the sheep farmer there thinking more in terms of wool yield than carcass value. The large majority of Romney breeds in Australia were of the Old English type. He thought the New Zealand type, with its beautifully crimped, lustrous wool, would soon be one of the main breeds used in Australia for crossing with the Merino. It was essential for the Australian fat lamb trade to secure the ideal ewe.

He saw no country suitable for Dorset Hom sheep, and, although there was a fair demand for Australian Dorset Homs in New Zealand, he did not consider them a necessary breed in New Zealand. Although Mr Bowman was not primarily in New Zealand to buy ■stock, many opportunities came his way that he could not afford to miss—opportunities especially to obtain stock that would improve the Australian Romney strain—and he has made many purchases in New Zealand on behalf of ■ Australian owners. His purchases through the stud stock department of Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd., included two special stud Corriedale rams from Bushey Park Estate, both of which it is interesting to note were winners at the recent Canterbury Show, four extra special Southdown ewe hoggets from that noted Maheno breeder, Mr H. J. Andrew, two of which were shown in the shorn hogget class at the Canterbury Show, one being adjudged first prize. From A. S. Elworthy, Mr Bowman selected seven, the pick of his English Leicester ram hoggets, and his comment on these sheep was that they were very much superior to the sheep he could secure in Australia. Tentative arrangements were made to secure more stock, but, unfortunately, time did not permit inspection.