Untitled

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 984, 26 November 1910, Page 21

The property was first taken up by Mr! B. P. Perry away back in tho early (lays, and by him was handed over somewhero about ISBS to his two sons, Messrs. W. and J. Perry, together with a property at Makuri. After a partnership of some- j-ears; the , firm or Perry Bros, was'dissolved, and Mr. J. W. Perry took over ; tho _ Makuri property, Mr. W. Perry remaining -at Penrose, : and in later years .devoting -himself with remarkable success to tho breeding of stud sheep. The property now has an 'area of islightly Under 2000" acres, but was originally just on 4000 acres, portions bavins been sold from time--to" time. Mr. , Perry has spent a good deal on drainage- and various improvements, and in tho last three years alone has laid down no less than 45,0C0 drain tiles. The place was originally bush "Slid swamp, and ■ drainage- has been a considerablo item in the past. One of the last remaining patches of swamp land,

an area of about 150 acres on tho ■northern boundary, is now. being taken in hand, by Mr. Perry, and about 70 acres; 'pi this ; has just ..been 'ploughed up and sown with swede.turaips.", V .:, .■...' „'.■

. .There is' a considerable 'variation "in soil on-the estate-',2nd this ha.s'eriablsd :Mr. Perry to make a close study of the i differences in the:fleece to.be obtained' by. a change.-of : pasture.- He has,,.for instance, ■'. proved that .Lincolns grow- , ing wool with tiro serrations totlio inch !wheit on a light shingle soil, will'carry ■fleeces' with' three- serrations to 'the inch, .after, a ..twelvemonth on;heavy clay. • ■' • ■ The Lincoln stud flock,. which has borne home so many honours to-Pen-- ■ rose, was founded away back .in 1876. The sheep arc, the descendants of ewes imported by Mr.; Everry M'Lean, .of; Auckland, and.purchased by the -Jato Mr. J. C. Rocked of Masterton. Ai-Mr. - dispersal sale:thirty-four .years ago,- they , were bought, by. Mr.-' Perry, 'sen., and handed over by , him,to his sons in 1884. Ewes were subsequently added'from the flocks of Messrs. J. B. : Sutton and M'Mastor. Mr. Perry, sen., exhibited occasionally, at tho agricul-. tural. shows, of his day, but it was :not until IS9O that the Penrose' Lincolns began to appear regularly in the show pens. Up to about five years ago they mot with little more than ordinary success, but then came\ a , step forward. With the production of Penrose V, a splendid ram which was then heading tho flock. His sire, Penrose- 11, before him, was .first as a hogget, and champion as a four-tooth at the Palmer-

rose has been tho way tho Romney) flock has como to tho front almost , a 6 one bound. The flock wa,s founded iiv. 1907 by tho purchase of some ewes from Mr.: G.' E. Sykes, of Masterton,' and '• this is but the second year in which' ! sheep from it have- appeared in . the : show pens. What those- Romneys are. doing may bo gauged from'the fact that; ' they were shoim in four classes at-. Hawko's Bay this year, and carried-off four first prizes and the ram champion-. ship. At Palmers'ton North exhibits" were, mads in five, classes, and-.the j .championship (Matthews-bred ram),'i : e-~. servo'championship, and four firsts and'," a third were secured. In-his own h'ome"shpw.at Masterton, Mr.,., Perry rather,,. ■■ surprised himself by whining .outright'.'" in two seasons. tho handsome .Cooper.' Cnp.. for. Romucys under .21 months.' . This cup,, valued at '40 guineas, had to to won twice in succession/ or-three , times at intervals, and Mr. Perry won' - ?si straightaway in. his first two ap-i- ' pearances as-a Romney breeder! ■ Be-', sidjs thiSj he also has a "leg in" afc : ' Masterton for the Beetham Cup for five Romney Marsh rams une'er 21 months.- : This performance must he something - - of a record in New Zealand sheepbreeding: Mr. Perry himself attributes his success with his new departure to r the fact that, before purchasing any. Romneys ho studied the breed for a! , I long "time,"and had made" tip his' inindl exactly what ■ typo he desired• to produce. Ho looked around for the most • likely lot of!ewes' for his purpose, and: . after, a good deal of searching over tho country decided that Mr. Sykos's sheep '. wero as near as ho could get to what he-had in his mind. Thoewes : obtained,ho began to look for .the. ram to mate with them, but-at none.-of the shows could lie find the sheep he sought.. Fi- . nally he caino to the conclusion .that. .. ho could not. do better than.: get-, his sire from Mr. Matthews,: of AYairongo- ' iriai; whose Romneys. havo.: been famous. this last or more. - j '!. : With these two strains .' Jfr. Perry satisfied' -himself 'that; ho could, obtain just,that Roniney character ho desired, combined■ with about as robust a con-; stitution. : as -it is , possible':-to;- get in' a sheep;.; ; -I'hat -he. 'has succeeded, the keenest Roniney judges the leading, New.; : - Zealand shows have been able to secure , .' 1 have testified. ' ,-'. - - '■' .;' ':.-, ■', AVith the Matthows-bred Tarn,'--Tlia".• ; Premier, a 6-tooth, Mr. Perry.carried f off tho championship ■ at ■ ■ Palmerston -,' North,'and; with.Tho General, 'a;four-' . tooth rani bred at Penrose, '■ ho also' "; gained tho reserve championship. .At' this show, the' Short 100 guinea cup-for'. . Romneys, to\:be won three tirii?s,"was' ■ also' secured for the- season.' i>lany ■breeders' consider that The General , is. likely to be a finer sheep than his/sire.';' I: The Lincoln stud ..at ■■'Penrose -noiv; . musters ' 540 - ewes, : . and •■ the - r Romhey::. stud 160 owes. :It; is Mr. : Perry's:in-;-" tentioh gradually to reduco the Lincoln's';to; 400 ewes and the bring the Ro'miieya-- ' ..--■ .'--v-'-- ''• v ':■-■!'■ : : Some seven or eight years' l ago' Mr.■■ iPerfy went in for , English Leiceste'rs,' 'and he..ebon found-that once having his; . ■ideal clearly beforo his mind, the know-" ,ledgo of. heredity,' etc., ho. had gainedin his life-long breeding of Lincolus, enabled him to A-ike up aiiy other breed arid mould it very much as he liked. However,, as there was practically r.o demand for Leicester ilock rams in tho district, ho gave up those sheep, and substituted in their place , ' tho llomnoys with which he has latterly:, been so successful.