SHEEP IN UNITED KINGDOM.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20171, 25 February 1931, Page 8

SHEEP IN UNITED KINGDOM.

COMPARISON WltH NEW ZEALAND. There: is frequently a difference of opinion as-to the ; relative sheep strength of tho United r Kingdom and ; Great Britain.;, It is'remarkable how little the figures do differ. Including ; Ireland those of the United Kingdom compared •with those of New Zealand over a period ,£ of years are 1 as follows:—■ ?' United .■• New ■■■■ . • Kingdom. Zealand. Year. 1920* .. 23,392,000 23,919,970 1921 .. .24,273,500 23,285,031 " 1922 .. 23,902,737 22,222,259 it 1923 .. 24,268,448 23,081,439 »o 1924 .. .25,238,800 23,775,776 g 1925 .. 26,390,723 24,547,955 •s 1926 .. 27,594,339 24,904,993 1927 .. 28,419,337 25,649,016 1928 . • 27,855,590 27,133,810 it 1929- .. 27,633,179 29,051,382 ;C 1930 28,196,000 30,841,287 s- It will be seen that .whilst in the ts eleven years tho sheep of the United ;o Kingdom increased by less than five ej': million head those of the Dominion in.o creased by seven million. However, ,the 10 Nev Zealand figures., are remarkable ,h from.the fact that.since 1922 (the lowest figures for many years) the increase was ;o approximately, million. Though, for ,f a number of years the United Kingdom

m.',m I. definitely led—by nearly .three million'', in ,1926 and 1927—Ney -Zealand as-J', sumed the leadership in 1929, • and in*', .j creased it by over 2i million in> J?3O. > .Excluding Ireland New Zealand led'I*. 1 *. Great Britain over tho decade referred' $■ to. • . . , Commenting on home wool prices thW' "Scottish Farmer" gays:— ~ * . A study of''wool-prices Over a ioig j period reveals the fact that periodically' \ they range; between extremely high and y low levels^'and that although thoy af©' ; severely- depressed. to-^ay,. they have 1 « been much lower in.many, former .sea? , sqns. High values prevailed' between ; 1862 and 1866, and also tidiwee$ v 1871' J 'and 1874. Tjakihg < Lincoln {"wool a? , a standard, it touched an average of S7|d ; in the formep period' (1864) and* 25fd ifc the terval these levels were only approached during the last two years>of i the war/ '' Whpn in 1917 the average pricewas, '' 25d, while in 1918 it rose 'to 28d/.and was 16Jd in 1919. . Last yfear the aver-, ®, age worked out at llld> a decline <jf. >|, 5d on '1929,, and of 7d on 1928, but-it 1 may be recalled that it fell aa low as" j aid in,l9oi , , - > British wool is suffering in common i with the produce of overseas territories. ;■ Australian merino is cheaper to-day thatt L '| i» JulyJ 1914, by -25 to '4O per cent., while New~ Zealand crossbreds are '45. - to 60 per t cent, cheaper. '.Taking into cpnsideration the altered value, of 1 moiey, wool prices are the low'est ever , recorded. : 7*. + ROYAL SHOW LAMBS! ] JUDGES' REPORT. 1 ' ' 1 " « By the last English mail the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board has received a report from its London manstger regarding tho display. | and-judging on Smithfield Market of the lambs the Seventh Boyal > Show"' held ' J Hawke's Bay in October last. ~ v . The Board offers annually special prizes at tho Royal Agricultural Show ; for fat lambs most suitable ,for oUr 1 Dominion's .export trade the,type ' most desired to keep up our-reputation on the London Market. The'lambs are judged alive on the show ground,.aaid ' prizes are awarded by the. Meat Board '' for the best pens. All the" lambs in this class are then killed and shipped Home to ./ the Board's London manager, who / arranges a special display, of, them < op. ' the Smithfield-Market. The,quality' of the careaaes is judged by three judges, ■ appointed by the Imported Meat Trade" Association (Incorporated), and further prizes for the best lot of three |caroases , as judged on Smithfield ate ■ also' , "awarded by the Board. ■ . ; This year, the" winning pens "were as follows: — , t V Judged Alive on Show Ground. First Prize —No. 1233, A. Peters, •~k , Dannevirke • ■ •.. 15 ' Second Prizes—No. 1253, I>. Collis, "_ f," * Kairanga ' ./! •- 10'/ Third Prize—No. 1243, A. Struthers, Hastings .. .. "-5 •' Besult of Award on Smithfield Market, First Prize—No. 1240, W. B. Max- * * - ' well, Hastings , 15 , Second Prize —No. 1253, D. Collis, 1 Kairanga .. 10 . Third Prize—No. 1241, W'. B. Maxwell, Hastings ..r .. 5 i The -Board's' London -itianager: reports' \ fhi>t the 72 Jamba entered this claw, J.^J' l >f,

"were displayed on. the stall of Messrs Weddol and Company on ■' Smithfleld Market on .Itacember 22nd, '1930, and attracted a groat deal o£ attention. , I The judges were,-very pleased with] the "whole exhibit, and-the# were parpleased with the "prize pens, frhich were light in .weight,- and there% fore very suitable for the butchers' trade. .•"*■" - J,.'-. These particular lambs ijrere perhaps not .quite as showy as; othei} Boyal Show lambs, but they were lambs from the butchers 1 point 'of view. ~ Most; of them showed the '.pawn i characteristic/ which is so much thought of °on Smith l fleld. • The lambs were purchased by Messrs iHarrods', Pulham, and Sons, Ltd., Thompson and Co., and W. White. J . Altogether the display created a, great deal of interest on .Smithfleld. The report of the judges appointed hy the Imported'- Meat t- Trada Asspcia: tion (Incorporated) —MeJsflra W. Johnson, D. Messent, and G-.,, Goodchild—-i$ as follows: "The judges thought th'at it was a truly remarkable exhibit- for . quality,, considering the very early date. in. tho year on which the- show was held,; ana, in consideration of the lightness of the exhibit as a whole. Tho judges xere, however, anxious to stress then pleasure at finding the lambs which took thflir eye >-as outstanding- and deserving of the\prizea "to beso light, and, therefore, so suitable for the trade. There have "been perhaps showier lambs, on Smithfleld, but they' have been heavier and' more wasteful—this particular show,: and 'tho winners in -particular, were *i€eftl. lambs from the batchers' point of view. They show, • i <■ ■'

PALMEftSTOM NORTH the Down characteristic to perfection, and there is not a fraction of in the prize carcases." yf \ . judges also spoke in the' highest terms of the dressing and the-condition of the carcases as tohown on Smiihfield,' : indicating the; greatest care andgood workmanship all along the .line, v /