A PIONEER'S CLAIM.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13812, 25 January 1909, Page 7

A PIONEER'S CLAIM.

To the Editor of the"" Timaru Herald.'" .Sir,—l attended the meeting of early settlers on Thursday, 14th inst., and hoard many of their reminiscences. I also heard it mentioned that something should be done for some of the old settlers who paved the way for tho coming generation. Kindly allow me space m your columns to state what I have done for them. In 1868 I was manager for Messrs R., 8., and G. Rhodes, of Soadown, and had a free hand in the managing of tlieir property. Before entering this employ I had been in South Africa, and had been interested in sheep . whilst there. The sheep in South Africa ivere very coarse woolled, and from continual in-breeding the wool had run almost to hair. To rectify this, sheep-owners crossed their -flocks with the merino raiii, the-result'being what we now call a coarse ha If bred. On taking charge of Messrs Rhodes' merino flock I thought J might breetf a good stamp of sheep, by mating them with a Leicester ram. I boiu'ht seven Leicester ram lambs from Mr Luxrooore, and after mating them with the merino ewes got, at lambing time, what Mr C. Hassall, of the Levels, called "mule lambs," and what I called halfvred lambs. The first lot of ihese I sold was to a Mr Parkinson, who had part of a riverbed nenr Tfmuka. Eventually thev paid him handsomely. The first halfbred wool I sent Home for sale sold for 16d per lb, while merino wool onlv fetched 9d. ' To this day half bred-wool still maintains-top price at our wool sales; Not only did this wool sell better, but this breed of sheep was more .suitable, for the low country than the merino, and were freer from footrot.. which was very prevalent in those days. My experiment (aided latterly bv the frecKim.' companies) has brought millions of pounds to New Zealand, and I think most people will agree with me that 1 have done more than most lor the •Kil'-nv T first set font in 45 yeors ago. -s T clii-" to h"ve introduced the haltbred to Cantcrbury c l.nuV ( Ctc. bN Chamberlain, 21/1/09.