Sheep.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13737, 29 October 1908, Page 5

Sheep.

The sheep this year were a. very fine lot-if the merino.; and some of th? Down classes be excepted. Sheep n;en were unanimous in the opinion (hat the show* of sheep 1 his year is the- best that lias ever been seen" on the Timaiu showground, and even visitors who were not particularly interested in the woolly inhabitant,, "of the sheep pens were struck with ihe very fine appearance of ihe exhibits which came under review. All the sheep were in tip-top fettle, the genial spring and ail abundance of feed having contributed 10 this. Of outstanding excellence were the i'.otd'n- Lcia-stus—th bleed of sheep which has for a long time held a high place in the estimation of pastoralists and. farmers generally, and one which is de.->t : ncd long to maintain its place. ;« '"the" breed, its wool growing propensities and its ability at the same time—to provide a good carcase. coinmending it- as a utility sheep of-the best kind. There never have Ix-en so many Borders svon at a Timaru show a; there are this year, and when it is stated thatsuch breeder* as Messrs. Donald Grant, W. Grant. X. M. Orbell, T. S. I/ttle. .1. Douthwaite. J. Gemmell. and D. MeFar* lane, were among the principal exhibitors, it will be at once recognised that nothing was lacking in point of quality. A featuie of the Border.; this year i>- the number of imported sheep which have entered the lists: and another point, worth noting 's the fact that while the imported sheep are very .good, the Xew Zealand grown ones are still better. It is quite possible to go Home and get Hor ileis to suit the Dominion farmers" putposes, and importation i : > productive, of good results, but they go in •more for utyle and carriage and general appearance at Home, while hem the aim is more in the direction of getting a good fleece. The wool on ihe imported Border's is soim-time-- of a coarser nature than that of 'he locally grown animals and for this reason, judges occasionally p:-> over an imported rain. The breed of Borders in Xew Zealand, has been greatly improved by sending to the Scottish brerdeii; at Home, who are very fond of a showy sheep with graceful carriage. Such a sheep usually has a good carcase, and the X'ew Zealand breeder is able from it. to add the remaining desideratum, namely, a heavy fleece of fine quality wool. Some very tine Lineolra; are to be got at Home, but English Lciecsters at Home are too coarse in the wool for here, though it 'is an advantage 10 get an nd.l one occasionally, for the sake of keeping up constitution. The same applies, to Rom neys. Taken on the whole. Xew Zealand liiiwurys as wool bearing sheep and in other way; are a long way ahead of the rtomn< vts ai Home. The'judge ..f B,„der Letters yesUr day ha.l n.> fewer than 72 sheep to adjudicate upon, and he had a hard tar-k t"> 0 palate -.,oim- of th-in. In th.- das* for tain above 30 months. Mr ')'. S. Little "00k tirst and champion with a ram bred by -Mr Robert Grieve, of Wainiwa. South land. This is .1 very tine type of ram. symmetrica] m bu : ld. "evenly clothed, well ■-jniing 111 the. liU; and possessed of a bold face <di.,wing a lot of character. Mr .1. Gemm-11. of Inch-holme, took second place with a line imported ram bred bv Lord l'olwarth. Tiii- ram --howed a hit of quality but hj- was not x, good in :he woo! as Mr Little's sheep. He was :r a disadvantage too in that he onlv had 6 months wool on him. and it was "there lore iinpo-„il.!c to tell what length of 1 taple he u, capable of produc ng: but le- ii.is admired as a rcmarkablv !»;;• sh. ep with .1 lot of character showing in his face. In the .lass for ,-am be!«..-n 18 .md ...) months Mr Little again seon--.:. .-e.oti.i hoiioins going to .\[ r Dnuthwaite. of W.idiuV. with a ram bred !>« Little )'.!,.-. Mr Dotithwaite al.-o -hone i in this .la.s an iinpoitel ran, l,re,i |,v 1). Hum..-. liair.lu.ll. Scotland said to" be one of the 11.-1 ranis that has left Scotland ..i "•'em years-. lint ho .li.l not ;;, t a place vest,-;,lav. in :),.. .la-- for tain tin ■ hr 1H nioti'iis \h- I.;;!.. „,.,,,. ~,,.,;„ aivar.'-d prid- of place, .-c.omi honours falling tins time to Mr \". ,\|. i),|„ ||. ~f Mount Han.-. Mi .1. Doiiihu-aite ~,, n.\ .1 the ,-„;. ~1 ,•!.,,,. i„ ti,,. .[... , f,. r in., ~,.„. im.ie,- !H months. Mr X. M. 1 til.. II being -.-.-0 i,,!. .\ v.iv ■: I .las* \<:i-. th:.: lor t.,111 o| ~ii< age. hut Mr Lit: 1- sii,.|,. 1 i,.- lio.-|..i. i.il.mg in-:. ■■■ ■ end. .Il'i tiiild. Ml' il a till.lit. 1., : h .• "an..,,n di-ti.cl. v.i,.,„',• i„. ,„„.,. Mr D. M.F.I !..!.• . l.t I'll.' inoll, . , holle.j all lllipo|!,--l ram Itotn Vo'lalcl. ,|, ii,,- , !., .. 1.-.11 ..-.Oil He- mpotted atti.le Ha . pa- ,-.! ..v. : n. favour of :!..: yioivu ,u : h.. 11,.|,,'i>...i! !■"...■ live ram- m,,'..-: it : . nioiith Mr \. M. <h!,.,!1 « .. the ...! tic!: ■'. ill,lie jo: , e.e ..!...\. .''.'J month- Mi .1. Houihv.a.te -ci.-i ti:-! .1,.! ih.11.p1.-ii wi'h an . \- .;.::. .nalli tin-- :>p>!ii. !.'! '-f hon-.m . in ie , !:;•. .-. -.-.• '-O'' f..r .«.■ t:i.-:.r K: ~:.,::;•.' K..r , - .. ..1 I :, .... . n.i-'c: !b' motith. Mr 11...1 .id Cr.int I .'■,.-. .'.. i.l t-gi.-. «•':. h -.r'l :!..' [ : i',V. •!. 'ti.it'.,'-- of ,(,., p- ■- 'The on'.i

exhibitors in this class were Messit. C. H. Fikor of Mount Grey. and.. ■ ■ JMii J. \VithelL- oi Otipua, Mr Wit hell's sheep wire-' on the small side, unci could not l)e li.iid to br- good representatives of the bleed. Moreover, they, had 100 much wool 'on the fare to bs good hill sheep. Mi- Elisor's sheep .were of the old I'asmanian breed—the plain bodied merino—and borii liis first prize animate were typical representatives of the breed. j.The F.glish Leicewte-rs were, a very fine lor, well worthy to uphold the. reputation of that breed by ' which 'Cariterbmy first got: its name for frozen mutton. By some if. is considered that the Knglish Leicxsters are quite as good as the Borders, .and ihose. who hold this view, contend that the first named fatten-well, grow a good fleece, provide it good, "cut." for the butcher's knife, but. it is admitted that th:» English Leicester lambs do not niatuiv qiiite so quickly as the Border LeieestetG. As far as Canterbury is concerned, the Knglish Leicester has taken the place of. the Lincoln, because- of the splendid .fleece.; it grows, and. on account- also, of its better., quality carcase.- It. is undoubtedly the liei.t sheep for ihe Canterbury plains., when, wool a.s well as mutton is a consideration. For-cold aub-t»oil'country••lilw' .South Canterbury down country, the' Border Leiee-s----tre is the sheep, but for the Canterbury, plains the Engliish Leicester is best adapted. Through the bad fattening seasons of the past three or /our yeans, the Down breeds have been put aside for the Leicester*. When it- comes to autumn fattening the slreep with the most wool on it then pays the best. Messrs Edwin Kelland and Donald Grant were the principal prize-takers yesterday in the English Leicester classes, and while these veterans at the game had their sheep in" the pink of. condition, it must be said that the sheep'which had -to take ;v back place. woti;d not. disgrace any show pens for' sheep in the Dominion. Mr Kelland secured high! ist honours, taking first and champion for ram above 30 months; andfirst and champion also for ewe of the age.

.Tiie Lincoln breed, which has not been given much prominence of late yeans, is represented at the show this year l>v a medium, lot,* taken as a whole, though .Mr Tarbotton's champion ram. and .the one which took second place to it, being fine types of the breed. The others wer* oil the small Bide. The champion ram was not so long, but deneer in the wool than the second one. The Lincoln* shown here are not up to the standard of the Otago or the Xorth Island Lincolns. They haw "gone out" in South Canterbury in the meautime, owing to the better qualities of the Leieesters, .but it is possible that farmeie may have to go back to them in order to get greater length of staple, as complaints are coming from .Home that much of the Canterbury wool is too short and stumpy. R. Brookland and tfons are Jlr K. Tarhottom/x only competitors at the eliow in this class, of 'sheep.: " ' There is nothing of special merit about the Romneys. They are a very: fair lot, some of them being_of a very good shape. The Romney can do with strong, wet country, bur 'there, is not. much • demand for it here. It is proabblv the. biggest purebred sheep in the Dominion, and it. "39 also the hardiest of all our sheep. There w not a great deal of country suitable for it in Canterbury, and it "is in far rreater evidence in.the North Island, Mr W. Grant and Mr C*. N.-Orbell am (he only exhibitors of this old breed. Mr Grant annexing, the championship for ram and ewe. -.ln Hampshire Downs there were no entries.,; Mr Rupert Parry, the -well-known Kingsdown breeder of Shropshire* sent forward some-"very fine representatives of this tvpe and as usual they were very well brought °'u' Tlie Silro P* llire a. "tvpe of'sheep which produces quick maturing lambs and where early fat lambs nr e wanted, Mr Parry's sheep would be:.hard to beat. Mr' IMrrv\s only competitor this vear is Air R. E t Smith. As to the SoulMowns,. (of which none were entered) .i r is surprising that in a. district, like South Canterbury,, where there are so many large framed ewes. e<=i>eci:>Hv of : the Border-Leiseester cross, • thai the Southdown ram is not more used for gettin.r fat lamb*. The cross- between lite SoLihdown and.the Romney. or the Sort hi down and the Border-Leicester prxl.ceK one of the best lambs it is possible to get fur export, the large framed owes imparting, size to .the- lamb, while the Southdown ram furnishes the shape and Quality. In an experiment, conducted at Liu'-'»ln College eome years ago, with rams for liroditcinc fat lamb* of th» Sn»rt.down-Border-Leice.sler cross was tins most successful.

Of Oxford Downs, there, are two specimens in the whow—a ram and a ewe sent forward by Mr J. Withell. This is not a class of sheep which finds favour nere. owing to the nature both of their carcase .and their wool, lmth being too roars?. ?rd in addition to this, the" fleece is light ''•i the size of the r.heep. They are too long in the leg and do not provide that -Ino l-<r of mutton —something 10 cut at—of which a Britisher is so fond. Mr .1. Withell was the sole exhibitor of Ryelands. These were not as good as some to l>c Mi'ii in the province, but- the bleed is one which will undoubtedly come to the front more, because of the liardv nati'ie and early maturing qualities of the lambs. The cross between Ihe Ryelanl and the halfbred ewe-s- furs- been very sne-(••s-ful in Xorth Canterbury. Kwen of this cross are good enough to put into any ordinary faruneiv Hock. The in-bred helf-bree',? are an exception•'lv good h.t. The judge took the lino of favouring the line rather than the stronger wo!Jed shell, and placed .Mr .1. Stiing-f.-llow's sheep ahead of .the rest. Mr X. SI. Orbells rihet-p were not >o giiod in the wr.ol as Mr Stringfc-llou's. or as Mr C. '. Knsoi's. The two first-named were of the Lincoln Merim.. while Mr Elisor's •vi iv of the English Leicester-Merino strain. Other ''xhibitoivj in this breed were Mr 1). MeFarlalie. who secured ;i second. Mr ('*. X. Orbell, who look two sioinls ami .1 third. Mr W. Grant, and Mr .1. Withell. Mr Stiiugfelloiv took the r.d ticket in eveiy class. Soini' very uood cto>idiri'<! sh<cp have ci tile forward t there ate- a mtnib.r of pens of very nice fat lambs, ami while tin- fat i-hi'-n are good. (Inf.- i-. nothing ~f special .•Mell.-nie about th.- m . Mr ' Brookland shows v,,nie v.iv goo<J fat sheep in the wool, and has ' aum-xe.l nearlv all th--H■ cial pii/e-. 'Hi- fat lambs ,11 th- s.-l bug .!:,-. ai- verv g0.,,1. tho-e of Mr .1. l-ir/eerald. and Mr .1. Hr..siiahan b-ing i\..itli_\ of -pi-vial mention.