SHEEP-BREEDING.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1806, 2 February 1884, Page 2

SHEEP-B REEDING.

to thi: Kinrou. ►Sat, — Owing to the fact that the concluding paragraph m my last letter did not appear in punt, I am placed at a slight disadvantage le cioss-bieeding, which I hope you will allow me to put light. Pait of that paiagraph stated ''that the system of cios.sbi ceding requii ed an amount of tact and practical judgment " not possessed by— let us say — the general public. Had that ap peaied in ita pioper place your correspondent " Warwick ' would have nothing left whereon to hang his lengthy espistle, as all his quotations, J^renchman included, go to prove that success in cross-breeding is only attainable by a master mind. As a furthei pi oof I will, with your peimission, give a few quotations fiom the much belauded Spooner. Page 14(5 and 147: "The attempt to improve a breed of .sheep by means of crossing is a still more difficult task, demanding not only the application of coriect principles, but a great degree of practical judgment and shrew dness. Many have been the fruitless attempts that have been made, and in nuineious cases a useful bleed have become deteriorated in consequence, or altogether unsuited for the climate or the soil, &c, &c. The object of crossing is either to mcrefse the size or impiove the shape, fattening piopen&ities, eaily mntunty, or the quality or length of the wool. In producing any of these improvements it would at first sight appear that all we have to do is to select a lam of any paiticulai breed most famous for the particulai quality we wish to produce. But tins will not always do ; by so doing we shall oftentimes breed a sheep weak in constitution, or from too great a contrast between the patents, shapeless mongiels may be produced," &c. " Warwick " says, from the well known qualities of the Lincoln they have doubtless been tried in connection with the Shropshhes, but evidently not suiting they weie laid aside. E\actly so, "Waiwick." Then why leconimend Waikato fanners to an expeument tned and found wanting by their biethien in England. The Lincoln is one of our heaviest-boned, slowest in maturing, largest food consuming, and l.ugest per cent of offal jieldmg sheep ; and yet " Warwick" believes a sheep with this cross capable of supplying the link between our present, and what lie elegantly calls the coming sheep. One other quotation from the favourite authoi (Spoonei), page 141 i : — "The growth of bone, of course, requires sustenance, as w ell as any other part, though not peihaps in the same degree. Laige bone, therefoie, abstracts nutriment, which would otherwise be more profitably applied, and thus is anything but a desirable point in sheep, &c." " Warw ick" will see I did not, as he is pleased to put it, dismiss the subject of cioss-bieeding with contempt, but I dismissed, and will continue to do so, the .ibsurd pretentious of persons who invest 3s Od in a woik on sheep (the piice quoted by " Warwick"), and, byquoting or garbling a few extracts, pose before the public as sheep-breeder» ; in fact, modern Bakewells, without an atom of his abilities, or genius, or modesty. If " Warwick" and his friends are anxious to hand their names down to an admirinsr posterity, as the founders of a new race of sheep, suitable to the farmer, the butcher, and the wool-stapler — in short, one that will do all that " Warwick ' claims the "coining sheep" must do— why not stait on correct principle, sound physiological law, when the risk of failure is reduced to a minimum, and success fully counted upon, that is by coupling a South Down ram with a Shropshire ewe, and after a few crosses breed in and in. If " Warwick"' is prepared to work upon those lines, I will, to show my belief m the project, give £10 (ten pounds) towards the purchase of a few animals, but they must be placed in proper hands, practical not theoretical supervision. In conclusion, I trust " Warwick" willforgi ye me when I say that on reading his letter I could not shut out from my mind's eye the picture of the illustrious " Don Quixote" tilting on the windmill. Much of what he considers valuable in Spooner I read 20 years ago in Youatt's "On the Sheep." — I am, &c, SHAFTKSBURY. [The paragraph referred to was excised because it contained an allusion not only not pertinent, but insulting. Our correspondent, in reproducing the sense, has greatly modified the tone of his remarks. — Ed.)

A notice by the Hamilton poundkeeper appears in another column. Mr N. G Lennox, bookseller, Hamilton, has a splendid collection ol valentines on sale, at prices which cannot fail to please. Mr T. Deegan, Hamilton West, offers 10s reward for the recovery of a. dark bay pony. Tenders will be receired up to Saturday, the 9th <nst., for two miles of wire fencing- and clearing about 60 chains of bush by Mr H. R. Brunskill, Cambridge. A. Leo's consultation on the Dunedin Cup, to be run for on February 21st, appears in our advertising columns. Mr Sherlcy, Rangiriri, advertises that his poaches arc now getting ripe, and orders should be sent in at once. Messrs W. J, Hunter and Co. will sell at the Ohaupo Yards on Tuesday, the 12th iiist., about 200 head of cattle of all descriptions, sheep and lambs, horses, &c. In order to ke«p pare with the times, Messrs T. and T. Prince, blacksmiths, &c, Ohaupo, have determined to reduce their prices of shoeing and other work, .Reference to our advertising columns will givirputiculars,