THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9191, 21 March 1908, Page 7

THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE.

• .„•-:,* ■; A VISIT TO NORTH CANTERBURY Mr J. D. Ritchie, Secretary of Agri» culture, visited North Canterbury witK the Attorney-General, and attended A the shows fit Hawarden and Cheviot He had not been in the Cheviot district since some fifteen years previously* just when the estate was being Kanded aver to the Government, and in conj versation with a "Lyttelton Times" reporter he expressed himself aa vertj , pleased with the progress that he had noticed in every mrection. The farmi ; carried every indication of jwosperityy ; lie said, and while the sheep at thU shows was only medium, *the drought was evidently largely to blame for theitf weak points. The horses at both shows' had been noticeably good, y?ls&*'' "A considerable proportion of tbif sheep I have seen in Nortfi Oanterbuirjf! had a tinge of the Down blood in them," said Mr Ritchie. "If keptf for breeding purposes theyTaW bound to have a very detrimental effect od the returns for wool and fat lamhtj being quite unsuitable for <BX)saing pur* poses. All cross-Down lambs isnouJd be sold to the butoher, and noW'Should be kept for breeding. At present the farmers seem to be breeding from.'them on Cheviot, as elsewhere in the do* minion, and the results are evident in the pens. A general improvement is the flocks dan be arrived at only by using pure-bred Tarns, and it should bk the business of every breedei? to keep this in mind. I think that the Flook Book Association should take steps to register all rams offered for sale, and to tattoo all such. rams. It seems highly neoesaary to secure legislatiye-jpower* in this respeot. No pereou flfepuld be allowed to sell any rams unfesstattoosd up to a certain standard.'* " :^r;::-. '