DISPERSAL SALE AT PUKETOI

Southland Times, Issue 24056, 21 February 1940, Page 8

DISPERSAL SALE AT PUKETOI

Fine Merino Flock Disbanded MANY LINES BOUGHT FOR SOUTHLAND _ (Special to The Times) DUNEDIN, February 20. There was an irony as well as appropriateness about the dispersal sale today of the celebrated Puketoi Merino stud. A little more than 90 years ago the province of Otago was founded and in 1859 the Puketoi Merino flock was established. Coincidently with the celebration of the centennial of the Dominion comes the breaking up of the last of the great stud flocks of Otago, a flock that has contributed largely to the development of the fine-,woolled sheep of the South Island and at the same time has held an unrivalled position in the Merino breed in New Zealand. Today there is no exclusively Merino stud left in Otago or Southland. The Moutere flock of Mr Robert Jopp (Chatto Creek) and the lesser stud of Mr Hector Gibson (Tarras) are the sole survivors of a breed once popular in varying degree in every district of the South Island and still necessary to the maintenance of the halfbreed flocks of the southern provinces of New Zealand. The Puketoi stud of Mrs Watson Shennan was founded in 1859 by Murison Bros, and registered as No. 9 in the New Zealand Flock Book, Volume 1, 1895, by Mr Watson Shennan who had purchased it in 1868. In 1870 and 1872 rams purchased from Mr W. A. Tolmie were used in the flock and in 1875 Mr Watson Shennan introduced for the first time the Tasmanian blood that was to prove so successful in the later history of the strain. TASMANIAN BREED The Scone breed of William Gibson and Son, Tasmania, was at that time regarded as the best in Australia or New Zealand and after the importation of three more of these rams the Puketoi studmaster decided to develop his own type from his own stock. For more than 10 years no more importations were made and at no time in the early development of the flock were anj ewes imported. Latterly the best Australian strains were used to retain the virility and distinction of the Puketoi sheep. All efforts at Puketoi have been directed towards the maintenance of quality and for 33 years under the control of Mr James Little, who retains the select portion of the station under the recent subdivision, the flock has made remakable strides. During that period no fewer than 12,000 Puketoi rams have been sold in New Zealand and to South America, South Africa and India and to add further to the fame of Puketoi breeding, wool of this brand has frequently topped the market in Dunedin and in New Zealand. Twenty-three bales made 19§d at the first appraisement held under the Empire purchase scheme in Dunedin in December 1939. EXCESSIVE SUPPLY With 2800 stud sheep suddenly flung on to the market the supply could hardly fail to exceed the demand and a great many of the sheep sold today brought prices considerably below the level of values that has ruled for Puketoi studs for many years. With the curtailment of supplies of good merinos in succeeding seasons those who still favour the breed or have a use for it will have to pay dearly for their requirements. There was a widespread demand for the stock offered though the selling agents report only an average range of values. Buyers were present from all parts of the South Island. About 1000 stud sheep were secured by North Canterbury, South Canterbury and North Otago buyers and fully 1500 were absorbed into Central Otago flocks. The remainder went to Southland purchasers, while some considerable lots found a new home in the Waihemo County of Otago. The range of values over the whole sale was satisfactory in view of the exceptionally large offering. More than 5000 guineas was paid at auction for the stud and flock sheep offered. The highest price was 35 guineas for a stud sire got by the 500-guinea Tasmanian ram Son of Triumph out of a ewe from the same flock. This was bought by Mr Robert Jopp, of Moutere Station, Chatto Creek. Another ram bred by Mr John Taylor, of Winton, Tasmania, was bought by Mr Jopp at 171 guineas. YOUNG SORTS WANTED The older stud rams sold at much lower values, but there was keen inquiry for good young and virile sorts, the pick of which ranged from 5 to 7A guineas each. About 40 lots of flock rams in pens of eight and 10 one-shear, two-shear and three-shear sold less readily than the ewes, prices ranging from one guinea to 4g guineas. About 140 firststud one-shear ewes averaged 2gns and about 100 first-stud two-shears made 3gns each. First-stud threeshear ewes were even better selling and averaged just over 3gns a head, while the mean price for similar types of four-shear ewes was a shade over 2gns. First-stud five-shear ewes were easier, the average being under 2gns. Second stud lots were slower of sale, 260 one-shears making up to 2gns, while 220 two-shears fetched an average of over 2gns. INTEREST IN SALE OF ROMNEYS MANY NORTHERN VISITORS The Dominion-wide interest created in the sale of stud Romney sheep on account of the estate of the late Sir William Hunt and Mr W. E. Hunt at Waitoru Downs, near Dacre, today, is indicated by the large number of northern breeders who have arrived in Invercargill for the sale. Accommodation in the city was fully booked last night, and those who arrived by the express without having made a reservation at hotels had no little difficulty in finding beds. Some were accommodated privately. The Wairarapa is strongly represented and there is a large contingent of South Canterbury breeders. Among the visitors are Messrs A. McDonald, J. Lord, T. Brown, Alister Williams, Cecil Johnston, Barnett Bros., N. Northcoate, Shannon Bros., P. Borthwick, C. Deans, J. A. Mitchell, J. C. Bolton, P. G. Ramsay and Colin C. Holmes (Wairarapa), W. A. Todd (Otane, Hawke’s Bay), Bell Bros. (Ben Lomond, Hastings), James Hunter, Andrew Hunter and J. Blair (Wanganui), H. P. Johnston (Feilding), Ewen Cameron (Auckland), W. R. Oakley and Edgecombe (Waipukurau), J. S. Lilburn (Hunterville), Cookson, Anderson and A. N. Grigg (Ashburton), Westgarth Bros. (Timaru), G. S. Giddings (Fairlie), J. W. Armstrong (Hunter, South Canterbury), V. A. Verity (Kingsdown, South Canterbury), R. Geaney (Otaio, South Canterbury), Linton (Holme Station, Pareora),

H. B. L. Johnstone (Hook, South Canterbury), E. S. Johnstone (Otaio), J. Fox (Studholme), F. Brown (Redcliff, South Canterbury), J. Sutherland (Centrewood, South Canterbury), T. Hayman, Allan Grant and E. H. Logan (Waimate), A. Wallis (Five Forks, Oamaru), A. Aitchison (Hampden), W. Yardley (Moa Flat), G. Aitchison, J. Morrow and C. S. Harris (Otago).