THE "FAKING" OF SHEEP

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1083, 23 March 1911, Page 8

THE "FAKING" OF SHEEP

',' '. ENGLISH OPINIONS, . This .week's' English mail brings further evidence that' "sheep-fating", is still a very live .question .in England. NATURAL; COATS ADVOCATED.; A ' correspondent of tho "Farmer and Stockbreeder," who signs 0.H.G., writes; "The time has come when -farmers want to. buy their stock.sheep of ,any breed on its own" merits, untriinmed and uncolorired. It would do a breed greater credit, and bring the very best of each on-to the market. I quite agree . . . that the mos.t effectual way would-be for the judges one and all to send the s(ieep back to their pens without any award if not, shown in natural coati 'at .any tiiiio of year as the show should be held." ' "BEST SHEET 1 OR CLEVEREST SHEPHERD?". T. Palmer, of Newington, Tavistock, Devon, writes to the' same': paper as follows;—"It is quite evident to mo that I'hile the present freedom bf preparation is permitted the best sheep will be passed iver, and second aud third rate ones will be winning the prizes. The reward, as things have been goiug on, is not for the best sheep, but for the who either does not shear at all or who keeps the shears a long way- off, and who makes! up for lack of symmetry in the animal by leaving -the wool, longest where most required. I am afraid a conscientious man who is determined ■ to-shear, -say. on or-about' March i, and shear fair, and square, will be saved front-the necessity of, ever responding on-behalf of tlio successful. competitors. - Are-- -prizes given to encourage the production of tho best and most faultless, sheep, or-are .they for the cleverest shepherd.' /. 1 -'"'While'there is such.'a- diversity of 'opinion on the subjects I fear the only chance of getting uniformity is to get a short' Act through Parliament, either by-the Society, for Prevention of Cruelty t<) Animals or by the National Sheep Breeders'. Associaiii))i, providing for a close time for shearing, and making it illfegal to shear any sheep during November, December, January, and February. It is cruel in the extreme to rob sheep of their coats during those months, and totally unnecessary for either fat sheep or lean. It would then be much easier for the judges at-our summer shows to pick out sheep that have not been properly . shorn.; - It, could bs left to the various breed societies -to deal with offenders and expel them from their society if they disregarded t.hq rules. It is no more 'fair to allow shearing at varieus times than it would be to allow horses to start in a race whenever they choose, and the; sheen last shorn has no more chance of winning than the horse last away. While this chaos lasts we are breeding from indifferent animals and rewarding owners to hide their defects. . Ts that tho object of an agricultural society?".