ON THE FARM.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 13663, 20 April 1912, Page 12

ON THE FARM.

HALF-BRED SHEEP. Some points for Consideration. Probably there are few men who arc so well able to pronounce an opinion with regard to sheep than .Sir George Clifford, and therefore what he says on any phase of the sheep question may be accepted without hesitation. It k rather interesting to learn that the initial shipment of merino sheep to New Zealand for pastoral purposes was made by Sir George Clifford’s father in 1844, and this may be considered the first link in a long chain of consequences. The gradual subdivision of land, the increase of copulation and of demand for mutton, and most of all, the institution of the frozen meat trade called for sheep free from the bulkincss and coarseness of most of the imported breeds and with a quicker development of growth and of fattening than the constitution of the merino permitted. Owners of merino flocks faced with this problem tried many experiments foredoomed to failure, but it gradually vanic to be realised that the halfbred sheep whose sire was a Lincoln or English ladeester ram and whose dam w jiff 'a merino ewe gave the most promise. Lambs thus raised were a useful type for freezing, and tne one or two-shear wethers of medium size were highly estimated by the London salesman. More over, the fleece proved to have special

attractions for manufacturers. The first cross progeny being thus an ideal animal in meat and wool with activity enough tor rough ground and placidity enough for small paddocks, it remained for the brooder to fix the type and secure its permanence in which task lies the crux of the present situation. Here is Sir Georges formula for the building up of a Hock of halfbred sheep. To successfully do so the breeder should select a draft of merino ewes of good pedigree to be mated with Lincoln rams —whether Lincoln or English Jadeester rams a*e the better lias been disputed, but if halfbred owes in considerable number are to lie shorn the bales will soon revctl that the Lincoln cross carries its wool far better when rearing lambs, a difference of two or three pounds of wool being very appreciable in annual returns. The English Leicester cross may conic oat earlier as lambs, though Sir George had ne cause to complain of Hie Lincoln cress in Thai respect. The Border Ixdccstcr cross, however soon the lambs fallen, docs not yield a shapely carcase, and is outside competition in wool. Then, proceeds Sir George, when the beginner has selected his merino ewes 1 and his Lincoln rams, he must, if he is to succeed, stick to his same type of merino and of Lincoln, or if unsuccessful abandon that attempt and begin afresh. Assuming that he has reason to be satisfied with the first-cross ewes of his exncrinieut, he will then proceed to cull the faulty ewes among their progeny, and put the reserved one to first-cross rams of similar character. At first he cannot avoid culling some 2o per cent, but as time goes on he will find faults disappear, and can reduce his culling to some 10 per cent, without injuring uniformity. In his lengthy breeding experience, Sir George found it advantageous to breed first cross rams to mate with the halfbred ewes to assist in reserving the original ideal. His view is that the best system of working a fairly sized flock of ewes is, after picking the best for As continuance, to breed from the remainder of the retained ewes a Shropshire or Southdown cross lamb. He has come to the conclusion that at least in Canterbury they have from two very* dissimilar breeds of sheep lit upon a product which exactly fits its surroundings and requirements. Only time is mow needed graduallv to eliminate the less profitable and substitute the more valuable types of this local adaption of the wool-boaring friend of man. The permanence of the breed in its host examples is amply confirmed, and its merit will secure it from the common fate of relapsing into extinction.

PLEA FOR A DEMONSTRATION FARM. During the course of his remarks in proposing the toast of “The Dairying Industry" at the banquet to the Prime Minister at Manaia, Mr F. AV. 11. Grcville remarked that although the returns from farms in that locality had in some cases gone as high as ill 5s per acre, oven that was hardly dairying, worth the name, it was quite possible to keep two cows to the acre, hut under the grazing system—allowing the cows to wander all over the land one-third of every acre was wasted, and that system was the worst in Inc world. The dairy production of New Zealand, Mr GrcviOe continued, could be doubled by the adoption of the soiling system, and he would like the Government to acquire a demonstration farm of (sayi lull acres in Taranaki and run it lor the benefit of everyone in Mew 'Zealand. Tlie Government could, ho said,

-efely guarantee to pay tlie owner of the farm' his best animal return previously under the grazing system, on condition that he ran the larm on the soiling system (or the future, the result of which would be, Mr Grcville claimed, that in addition to paying the former owner off the farm, say, iIOOO, an additional profit of JfiOtlO or idtiOfl would be made, which could be distributed in chanty or in whatever other way was considered advisable.