ON THE SHROPSHIRE SHEEP

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 702, 30 December 1909, Page 8

ON THE SHROPSHIRE SHEEP

; /; ; //«:''|LArK^oros?v : •?,; ;ir'i'-';: -'. ■ y.Sir,—Nothing i,could ~b'e/..ranch; .more • auiusing. than - tbo'/recent references/ in your.; columns /to the Shropshire at last coining :ihtP;:his .own. : '.Vhy, ,siri.'..for twonty." ; y'ears ; ;th6.. Shropshire has been,;; a /recognised. and : predominant factor in, establisHng the 'reputation -of New Zea- ■ laud'laidb"at.'Home.' -' ./:.,.- ;/ ; v./ ' /Airy/: "southerner/visiting this island is ■ ab'bnce / asked/, why ~southern mutton ' /should be ..quoted so,.much above North Jsla'nd.:'i'he* reason is plain.ln the s"outh.,-tne'-muttoh/.;,origiiia.te3 with, the hiorinb, and ' there . receives tho impress ;of the English Leicester/and the' Shropshire; . r Here you ■> begin and end with iLincbln'.'and Romney, puro/or crossed.' At the Christchurch show. English Leicester? 'and: Shropshires rule..the.roast, and the quality ;ol ■ Shropshires has/attained to ,a i standard' indistinguishable from the -Englisb/idoai;:;/,';//:/, :;'';//'/ '■/■''/ '•■^V/v' i / But it /dobs! hot follow .that every, one in /this Island should; rush in! to cither ' br'oed;", /The., introduction of English Lei- ; 'cester/.bloo'd.may/wbrk .untold . injury, upon .a/flock—has, done so in many instances..;;" The: 'small,' '• spindle-shanked , .scouring,'hoggets'.'present for years/aftcr-rev'ersbn. tp.Eomney rams;/-I ;do ;nbt'■■:say' they..', are' .everywhere /unsuit-but'.-.their should, bo gradual,* exolusivei and carefully watched. /./So with.Shrppshires. A bad Shropshire is; the;worst; sheep/'on earth, and any run 'uppn so proline a breed produces /drafts ;■ of rams. \to ■ make an angel: weep. ' Being a made-up breed, there is no sheep ;-7-bar'. Corriedales-rs'o difficult to breed for '~uniformity.; Colour, wool, carcass and - constitution are: difficult to unite in one. harmpniijnisr'fiocV, and, the (tendency ..is'-'to ioverloiik,! constitution * and pre'pbtency.';: Asilphg 'as,'-buyers ;will' pay /for theiii,/breeders' will'supply. ~ /.■Thei ; / weak' points.;'of; Shropsbrres.. are beq;; VMrst'/the" wretched/attempt to,:in- . '"clu'do:/ ■ampng' !wool; producers. ■ ;This\':has'''-ledvV';:tp;.\thoV.intrbduction "oi mermo'/blood. , '';'Particularly// : lias' • this been; evident' in Tasnianian , sheep.i The plain. fact; is /'that any Shropshire cross 'lamb that reaches/- the- shearing board has;,;been/ a..failnijo. -..He :should•• have died eight 'months' preyipusly.;:; When thb blood; of a stud ram has to percolate . through: flock rams':before; it/ can reach .tao;marketable.:lambs, the. difference his . aWooI can-make! in .the yalueof a lamb's ; polt. is insignificant, 'and :if 'supplied /at tho'.'cost ;.of. constitution ./and' earlymattiring qualities,; it means weeks'of 'extra feeding, and so'an incalculablo loss: Thoman who is caught in:a drought with a .lot.vof, suchV lambs /will /curse the: day he ever saw a-Shropshire. • And ..to-day .we:'s'ee t .enb ridicalous'spectacle; of the /mosl;.,succes^ul;"/ShroTOhire3 i ;.;from'' the showyard/sbindpoirif "being/ 'housed and . clothed;>fed with a' golden 'spoon, and : never /allowed "to wet their feet. • AS a cpnseqnence of all. this,-we.find, in the 'second: place, that /Shropshire,' lnmbs.are particularly, delicate during /toe "first six hours of ;thpirlife/.:Wc' may,roadof .good , perc'entages,!but,/.this, does; not reflect the number/Of" } 'lariibs''acteally dropped./ Let any •■ Shropshire'sbreeder/.who,, challenges ■ /this—and'■that/ (Some "irill: is 'certain—do as l/have/dphex-piit his; cast ewes to a |;Bprder;/Leicester."/ ''Until' :I/did this; pnp .yeiir;-'6olely.to„.prevent,myself from' passing... thei.. lambs /into; my: flock,- 'lihover realised 1 ) the comparative delicacy of the Shropshire; -but. repeated expefiments only confirmed thisbxperierice. 'In passing, ,1; may remark that 'during -this m hours the good, old Bomnoy need fear ■'no-foe':'v-y'-,;■■ .:■.■'-•.■'.-,■].'.■•:' ..■■',-■.. 1 ' 'J/am -a /' lang-standhig' admirer and breeder.bf;Shrppshires; but I:don't want ta .seo'.a suddenrmad rusfi.*a"t : the/breed ■wtach'/wouia produce .a/sif'arm'iof /useless brutes, .which in'their turn would fill the •country with a collection of the most useless -nondescripts■■',.that,: ever r"cursed'a ■-countryside.'.'. '//.."....'. .■.'■■...'. .;. .' /::Tho,;furthor: point of .'whether the ram best suited to Leicestcr-Morino ewes must ■ :.0t.,;-wcessifebo:6guany,adapted to Lincoln .' ; ft/W n ",discUssit\g.'i. t All- -I '•? jeyery - man- shcmld consiuer ; in ; buying.;.rams,CshPuld; gp -solely for carcass ; and ..'constitution,", leaving wool absolutelv '. s|t5 |t . tI J9 1 3r.',and'|or eyer out .of the ques«dn ■ '/:;Ha^e's:Bay^fpeceniMf23L::'. :.'■"'."''