SHEEP "FAKING."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1092, 3 April 1911, Page 8

SHEEP "FAKING."

i. A NEW COMPETITION SUGGESTED, ; . [To tho' Editor.] ; ,' Sir;— Having read tho series of articles ! ■■ in The Dominion regarding tho "faking" ; of stud sheep, I cannot resist adding .my \ quota. I may preftico' these remarks by '■ stating that I havo had forty odd years' I: , experience as a breeder, exhibitor, and 1 'judge of stud sheep. In the early daya f "'we-had .no experts in "faking,"each ex- ■ hibitor selected a few days before .the \. show what he considered the best sheep in his ilock, and drovo or carted them ! to the show ground. There was keen ; neighbourly rivalry, and each took "a ;•■■' - boating without a whimper, making mon- ■ tal. notes of where his stock were fUfici- ! ' enr, and correcting; tho error before the '■ next-meeting. This method would bo > called very primitive in theso days. It ■ had. , tho merit of being honest, and I ~ have.seen Lincoln two hoggets with wool I . eighteen inches long,' and clipping 271b. ; of:greasy wool; ewes rearing lambs, 231b.; r ■ and' rams, with twelve months' wool, : 261b. Can the most skijkd of our : . "fakers"/beat these weights? I don't ■ think they can with honest shearing. The .first ■ "faking" I remember ,was done by an English stud shepherd, who ; was. a pastmaster in the art, ■ and knew • all the tricks of the show-yard. Ho was '. once hoiste'd with, his own petard. .Eβ bought a very high-priced ram at one, of the fairs, and asked my opinion of him tho following year. .I.inquircd what ' possessed, him to purchase such a mean brute, that had not one qualification for ■;■ a. stud sheep." He stated th.it the sheen was. sp well got up. with "faking" oil' etc.; that even he was taken in. Now ' what. chancs, has the ordinary farmer : got when-one, of-tho cleverest "fakers" ; and a good judge can.bo deceived? : Jn my opinion faking will never bo ; .put down. Nearly all of your contribu- ' .tors, admit that a.. little- trimming is I necessary; it is impossible to draw the i. : line, and it is the most.-skillcd artist that !■ gets the prize. Kemovo all restrictions, • ami go as you please/ There would be I no false declarations about shearing, and i I, think more entries. "Faking" will be i done in any ease, let it be- done without i lying. Some suggest . that tho judges • -.should disqualify all "faked" sheep. You ;• cannot expect the judges to be private !. detective's and raise Cain generally on j- the show; ground, • ,The judges know that t' the sheep'are "faked," .and were they to j. pass all that have been tampered with . there would be very few left to judge. \ Tho most despicable, mean, and disi honest practice is unfair shearing. It is ■ pcr-siblo to bo taken in with singeing and ; ■ filing if done by. an.expert, but no prac- ; tical man can make, a mistake about i, shearing—this' is where the lying comes ! in. 'A breeder may have a first-class ram ; , or pen of ewes; he travels from show to r ehow; gaining champion honours, until ' . tho last big show in November. These j - same sheep will bo exhibited the follow- \ 'j ing year, and tho owner makes a declara- ;'- tion that the ..sheep ,wcro shorn., last No- ; -vember..... The sheep.. were, certainly cut " 'out with the shears, .but the wool was 1... 'left at anything from two to six inches :■■ long.. .AY'hen these sheep -make their : final ..bow to the public, tho neighbour- ;.. hood and, if possible, a reporter are in-' " vited to see them shorn. On this occa- [- 6i6n they are shorn to. the skin,'and tho -phenomenal weights go'tha rounds of tho I ■ -papers.. I .am aware : that you cannot ! .niter the quality very much, but other ; things being-equal-the length and weight ; will take first prize. Many years- 359 I 1. .came across unfair : shearing, ' and l'neni tiphed.to the class stewards that I would i- ,' disqualify them. They implored me not '-.'•'to • .do. S6 as the owner-was one of .their i 'strongest .supporters;, they could not do ;. without him, etc. Much against my grain. !' I let the stewards prevail. -.. In Australia things wero much the i fame, as hero with regard to. unfair shearI ing. They adopted the plan of having J, Iho eh-sep shorn in the presence of a ! committee . appointed by tho . association, I nnd .privately, tattooed. This settled the ; unfair shearing question. : r I will conclude, by Tiuggestin!; to the ; of sheep'Hiat o.'competition un- ; der natural conditions should be held I Each breeder who fancies his flock should i say. in February or March, seven i. hoggsts, five to be exhibited at sorno of I -+hp leading shows. This will leave two :.. for accidents, etc. Tho whole of the i Jambs should run together in first-class i cattle pasture, and urazed by sonic un- ! .interested farmer. This could also anply . [to'older sheep. A. competition would be {. -held for a. sweepstake or, say, <£5. a I ,'trophy, or for the mere honour of'win- ;-.- ."ning first prize—and it would be an hon- , our, to get a prize under natural candi- : tions._. I anv prepared b join such a <■■■ combination at any time, but havo no i 'inclination for the other -game—l -am ; etc., 1 : . T? R TT '; ■ Manulahi, March 30, 1911. .