COLOURING OF SHOW SHEEP.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 954, 22 October 1910, Page 8

COLOURING OF SHOW SHEEP.

INTEBNATIONAL ' CONFERENCE '■'.. . DISCUSSION. .An important subject which, frequently .comes under notice in New Zealand was discussed at length during the eleventh International Conference-. of sheepbreeders, which was held in -Liverpool' on Juno 20. "The desirability or •otlierwiso of the oiling and colouring of sheen' 0r...0f .any foreign .'substance being used in' the .preparation of sheep for show purposes," was the "subject,, and it. was 'introduced by Mr. A. Mansell, who read a paper dealing fairly fully, .with : the matter. The fact that there were-several •New Zoalanders at the. conference adds interest from a-Dominion, point of view. Inaction Advocated. ■ In.the course of;his paper, Mr. Hansell said that.to get ah expression'of opinion at Home, he sent out a .circular letter.to .representative.breeders in all. varieties .of ,'eheep, the result being that .'about- onehalf . replied urging : the. .desirability, .of prohibiting-oiling and colouring, .the other, moiety, 'whilst condemning eicespive application of one or both, did hot recommend any action .being taken/ the following' being "their grounds for-'in-action:— - ; r -. : -

• (1) That- the fewer the restrictions as to ..how sheep should be exhibited. the -better.. ■ • '.'•'"■■ .;.-, .(2) That- a sheep's.'fleece that has been trimmed and cut.!into is.not -of a uni- ;'.'. forar':colour all-' over, and ':■ some ■• slight, 'colouring is needed to make it so., ;'. .: : (3) That .a sheep's fleece that has been; ■washed just previously /to '/exhibition (thereby'' losing its natural- oil) requires-: a little, oil to-give, the fleece a natural; touch. ■ " ; ■■'■ .-: (-1) That with many breeds of sheep the; •flefces - would vary .very much, in colour . and'appearance according to. whether the eheep had-been fed on, pasture, or arable', \lai}d,.and in trie .latter case th'e nature - and colour of the soil on. which thsy had ; been kept would be apparent. This ,is 'notably the casein Lincolnshire. Considering exhibits are drawn from 1 -;-ill parts of the British Isles,' it was. pointed out that if colouring were- prohibited trie ■:sheep even of the same' breed seen..at -many shows: would -present ;a : somewhat "motley appearance: ■'';■'•.. (5) That an .exhibitor should, .be allew- . Ed to show bis sheep in the best way.he ;.oah.' '■' ''.' V ■'.' -i .- '' : ' " :'.■■',.■ ..'Mr. Mansell thinks it only fair to add, that the gentlemen who favour colouring, etc., discountenance, the , continuance of the bright yellows and vivid reds at .present in evidence in some breeds, 'and advocate, a-slightly neutral tint, for. ''general adoption. In concluding, he gave ■ it as-his. opinion that it. was possible to -make .an attractive exhibit of- sheep without the aid of either, colouring or oiling. '.Mr. R.: Charters :(Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society) said that he ■ had but little experience in the matter of colouring. Let sheen be exhibited in the '~ condition in which they were found in nature. His opinion on this subject, might not be : a'/ very practicable one, . as this- was his first 'visit to. England, and- he had not seen any colouring. ;': .When' he had. seen instances at; the :Royal Agricultural Show, as he expected to do,]he should be better able to form an opinion ' with regard to the practice. . , Mr. Cameron's Views. •Mr. H. C. Cameron, of the New Zealand Department of Agriculture, said that colouring and" trimming' pretty .'well went t .together. : .One reason given • for inaction was that the-fewer the restric'tions that existed -as to the conditions ' .under which sheep .were exhibited the ,'better, and he agreed with .that'statement. There should, he thought,'be only one restriction, that being that sheep ought to be exhibited in the- natural -condition only." They•had heard that -'•both in New ('Zealand and in Australia colouring was:being resorted.to. Some ; years,since he was in New Zealand, and ■he had: some experience there with-re--.gard; to sheep-breeding and exhibiting; but he never saw'any coloured sheep in the Dominion. The reasons which wore given for colouring sheep in tliis • country failed' to satisfy him. He. had seen Borne sheep coloured red, and some coloured yellow; but sheep exhibited in their natural colour appealed to him much more than those wonderful works of .art which were exhibited at• agricultural shows.. Tho second reason for inacnon was that "a sheep's fleece that, has been :trimmed and cut into is not of uniform colour all over, and some slight colouring is needed to make it so." But when he looked at this reason he wondered why the sheep 'should be trimmed so as to mako colouring necessary. He believed that sheep were trimmed in order to show what fhe artist who'trimmed them. ..considered a model, sheep ought to be; but we did not find sheep like this when they came before us in the natural shape. Ho regarded this second reason which' was given for inaction as really being one against colouring. : The third reason given for inaction was that "a sheep's fleece that has been washed just previously to exhibition (thereby losing its natural oil) requires a little oil to give the fleece a natural touch." He would , eay here,. "Do not wash the sheep.' In New Zealand, and, he believed, also in . Australia, the. sheep were always shown in their full fleece. They were .not shown shorn as in this country. They appeared in their, natural condition. It was also said that in this country colouring was rendered necessary in consequence of the difference of climate in the British Isles,, and its variety from north to south. But there was the same sort of variety all over New Zealand. Finally, he felt strongly that colouring was unnecessary. ... Mr. J. C. Pield (also a New Zealander) thought dip should be allowed, but not the rest of oils.

A stockman's competition is to be held at the next A. and P. Show at New Plymouth. Bottles will bo placed on.posts, and the object of the competitors _ will be to dislodge them with Btockwhips.