SHEEP IN JAPAN

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19803, 19 May 1934, Page 15

SHEEP IN JAPAN

COUNTRY NOT SUITABLE AUSTRALIAN EXPERT’S VIEW i Statements that Japan might, in the course of a few years, produce a major portion of the wool 'needed for her own requirements are not supported by the observations of Mr H. C. Pennefather, one of the best known pastoralists and stud sheep classers in Australia, who returned recently from a visit to Japan. Mr Pennefather said 75 per cent, of the country in Japan proper consisted of steep and rough hills, while the remaining 25 per cent, was closely cultivated. The northern half of the country experienced bitterly cold winters, with deep snow, and all stock was housed. Inferior land—not including stony hills and mountains—sold at about £3OO an acre, and good land, well situated, at up to £3,000 an acre. Speaking generally, all animals were kept in yards and fed on the least valuable produce of the farm —even the roughage from tobacco plants. There were 30,000 sheep in Japan, and every year the Government bought about 500 ewes and 50 rams in Australia. Merinos were found quite unsuitable, and Romneys were discarded. For the last few years Corriedales had been tried and they were considered satisfactory. After examining the Australian-bred sheep which he saw in Japan, Mr Pennefather said they would have cut 25 per cent, more wool on average Australian pasture. It was clear that Japan could not profitably carry a large number of sheep, and that the sheepbreeding industry there would not seriously disturb Japan’s valued competition at Australian sales. He was informed, however, that "fat-tail” sheep did well in parts of Manchukuo, but that their progeny by any breed of wool-covered rams were not sufficiently hardy to stand the long and extremely cold winter. A sheepfarmer from New Zealand who spent two years in Manchuria informed him that crossbreds would do well there if housed and fed during the six months of winter, but that the Government of Manchuria was unstable and in marked contrast to that which the Japanese had established in Manchukuo.