FACTS FOR FARMERS. SHEEP BREEDING ON FARMS. (By the Secretary Agriculture, Victoria.)

Waikato Times, Volume IV, Issue 216, 27 September 1873, Page 2

FACTS FOR FARMERS. SHEEP BREEDING ON FARMS. (By the Secretary Agriculture, Victoria.)

The Lincoln promises tp be a valuablo breed for the rich pn9luros in our cool districts j but tin* high prices realised fjr rams of this breed places tliom, in souio measure, beyond the reach of farmers, Except it bo those who purpose to e.»tnblnh a stud flock, and thus can nllbrd to purrhuse the best ammnls procurable. Tne breed is the largest framed and iieAvmt fleeced of all the British wee*. At one time Lincolns were largo, ungainly nnimals, clothed with an immense, fleece of long coarse wool. But, of latct years the breed has been much improved by n judicious infusion of 'Leicester bltiod; in fact, it may now be icgardcd as a sub\auctyoi the I* loester. In general symmetry the Lincoln is i nferior to tbe Leicester, but. in point of fleece, both as regards lustre and length of staple, it is superior to (he last named race. Ihe chief distinctive features of the breed are tho coarse, angular head ; tbe peculiar conformation of the muzzle, giving young sheep not unfrequently the appearance of broken-mouthed eyre» ; the short, fuzzy-wool on the poll, which oftentime* extends tp the sidrsof the face ; tho coarse limb bones,; and 'tho tendency, to flatsidediicas. J3til all of • the above defectsjtire gradually being wiped out by judicious selection and cm ful breeding. Tlie Lincoln is a great food ( consumer, and c in? therefore, only be profitably reared on rich pa-turos \vh ire it has not far to travel for keep. So far our limited experience permit* of an expression of opinion, this breed makes a most desirable cross with the merino ; and it will prob.ibly be found that a cross of these two races w ill furnish the right animul for the farmer in the cool and fertile districts of the colony. The Cola wold, though better adapted than any other breed to its native hills, does not meet with much favour in this country. It is a large, handsome sheep, and glows a heavy fleece of coar«e wool. The most distinctive features of the breed are the bold top-knot, which often hangs down Over the face ; anJ fie deep, wide, and prominent chest. Crossed with the merino, it has yielded only meagre results ; and it would appear that it is generally an u desirabln bretd for , this country. Tiie cause is difficult to find, but ( it probably lies in the fact that the soils of its native hills contain, on an avorage, from 80 to 85 per cent, of lime ; whereas the soils of this country are singularly deficient in that ingredient. The Romney Marsh is a coarse-woolled breed, resembling tho Lincoln very closely in general symmetry. The chief virtue of tins breed lies in its power of resisting fluke. Mr W. Lynll, of Western Port, who has experimented with most of tho English breeds, gives it at his opinion that, of all the breeds, the Romney Marsh 'suffers least from fluke. The Cheviot is a handy sheep, capable of enduring great privation. It is destitute of horns m both sexes ; its head resembles closely that of tbe Leicester ; the leg? and face are white, tfiough there »re strains in which these are mottled with grey ; and it exhibits a tendency to lightness in the fore- quarter. The fleece of the Che\iol weighs from three to four pounds, and is singularly defficient in yolk. The breed has not been much cultivated in Victoria. Die Border Leicester differs from the last-named, breed chiefly in the improved character of its fleece, but it does not equal' the pure Leicester in this particular- Sheep of this, strain have not been imported into this country and passed muster for the pure article. > There are some important British breeds yet unnamed — and several Down breeds. Of these the most important are' the Sussex, Hampshire, and Shropshire Downs. But thejr aye all of little account ns farmers' sheep, and so may be passed over without further comment. But now let us pass on to discover which of the above described breeds, or a modification of which of them, or a cross of which with the merino or other breed, w ill be likely to give us the right farmers' oheep for the country. In the outset, I may mention that I am in favor of a modification of tome pure sheep, if, by watching the changes it threatens io undergo when subjected to altered conditions of life and careful selection, a desirable variety can be produced. It i» easier to preserve an existing character or to modify an existing form than to create a new one. However, should all attempts in this direction fail, then we nuist have recourse to cross-breeding astheqnly alternative ; and most assuredly we shall be able, by one of these two methods, to establish a brred in every way adapted to our wants ; and further, it is probable that a breed will be formed in each district which will be beautifully adapted, to that locality, but if removed to another, having a different soil and pasturage, will thrive no better tban does tbe Lincoln if removed to downs of tbe south. Of all the British breeds, fhe Lincoln, perhaps, bids fairett to prove the right sheep for our agricultural lands. It take* kindly to the climate, and seems to undergo a gradual, but not deleterious, change (as was noticeable in the flock of the" late Mr Thomas Austin when brought under the hammer), which, if carefully preserved by selection, might result in tho founding of a breed in every way suited to our wants. The UeleeM-o fleece under Hie" Uiflurncr» uT Me Victorian sinuate exhibits, at has boon already observed, a marked change for the worse, and this detracts greatly from its value <ns a s'leop for this country. The Cotswold is of little value apparently; tho Cheviot has not been much tried; the Romney Marsh is proving itself a useful sheeji on low land, and is likely to turn out the best breed for resisting fluke ; ' while the Border Leicester, like the pure-bred sheep, exhibits a tendency to degenerate in this climate. But tome of the above, more particularly the Lincoln and the I<eiceiter, cross admirably with the merino ; and our farmers will probably hnve to depend chiefly on crosses of these for tbe development of a serviceable breed. The pure-bred long- ' wool: are still too expensive to render them profitable when kept in small lots, unless" for stud purposes. It, may remunerate a large sheep-owner to purchase a few high-class longwoolled rams to put to his flock, but it will surely never pay the man who may possess, my, 150 or fewer e«e«, to give from £35 to £50 apiece for rams. Tlie man who desires to possess a sheep of tlie right sort will have to beg n at the beginning and work upwards. Let him select, 1 aeoarding to his giiizing capabilities, a number of large v, ell-framed merino - ewes, and put to them the bost bred Lincoln or Leicester rum hp can procure, selected from soin* good fluck. And if he will then pay proper attention to culling, and not to use one of hi* cross-bred rams until a new type has been firmly established in Imb flock, hp will not be likely to get far wrong in his undertaking. , , The advent of sheep-breeding on farms is an event to be hailed with ruiich satisfaction, and will create a new era in the annals of Victorian agriculture. ' Moreover, the time it most opportue. The high prices ruling for wool, and the greater facilities for conveying animal food to the densely populnted centres of Europe being daily brought to light, tend to enhance the value of ljve stock, mere particularly sheep ; and this change in our farm system will doubtless leach farmers the old maxim — " Cultivate less land and grow more corn."

Determined Attempted Suicide on thb Nelson South WHS! Goldpieid. — The Qrey River Aram of Sept. 9th, stales ; — A most determined attempt at. Bclf-desi ruction was made at Aharua, on Saturday, 6th September, which adds another to the already numerous ljstof sensational incidents recently reported from that loca'ity. Mr C Harpell, a tobncco and cigar manufacturer and stationer, resident near ITamilton's Hotel, Clifton '.Road, was noticed by some of his neighbours to be singularly 6trange in his conduct and conversation for the last week or two, and this alteration from his usually cheerful habits was the cause of much imxiety hmonir his more intimate friends. About four in the afternoon of Saturday, Mr James Harprcaves, who resides in the next house, had hii suspicions aroused by circumstances which occurred, and on attempting to open the front door of Han-ell's shop ha found 'it fastened, He knocked and called out, when Harvell came to a window fixed in ay green baize covered door, leadiug from the shop to the private apartments. He drew aside the curtain, and on seeing Har* prenves, be said, "It is all right. I will be there in n minute." Hnrgreaves noticed that tlio dollies worn by Harvell, at far as he could see through the window, were covered wi*h blood, and he at once pave the alnrm. Coastable Meredith forced opnn the door, when Harvell was to all appearance dead. Hfr was sitting in a large camp armchair, wilh a lighted cigar in , his mouth, his lrps thrown one over the other, with an open razor pluced on his knee. His left arm, which -was nearly severed by n gash inside the elbow joint, wbs hanging oviV the chair ; there were wounds at either side of the neck, just below the ears, and the floor of the room and some articles of the furniture were covered and bespattered with blond. Dr Phillips was on the spot immediately, and took such measures as were necessary under the circumstances'. In a few seconds more nil efl'orts to restore consciousness would have been unavailing. At an investigation afterwards, it. was decided that Harvell, should, after the necessary medical examination had been in tide, bo forwarded to tbo Lunatic Asxlum at Nelson. One of therapeutic novelties in London, recently introduced from the Continent, consists m the erection of e|t«b> lishments for administering hot eand baths as a remedy fpr rheumatism, recent cases of nervous disorders, affection of the kidneyi, and all eases where heat is wanted as the chief therapeutic apent The advantnses of this treatment are that it does not suppress respiration like the hot water bath, but rather increases it, and does not interfere -with the respiration like the steam bath or Turkish bath. Tho body can endure its influence for a much longer time, and a much higher temperature can be applied. An improved horte shoe by De Mott, of 2»ew Tprk, i» t thus spoken of: — The object of this invention is to so construct the shoes of horses and oxen, and so attach the calks thereto, that the latter may bo readily removed for sharpening or renewal withotit removing the shoe ; and it consists in the manner of fastening the calks to tho shoe. A lip it turned up from the shoe at the toe and heel, to which tho calk is dowelled. These lipi are turned so as to form angles with the face of the shoe, and the calks are fitted to tbe angles, nnd are dowolled to the lips, while tbe other branch of the ralk is Cited to the shoe and fastened thereto with a screw. With the lip a single dowel and a single screw is all that is required to hold tl.c calk firmly to its place.