THE FAKING OF SHEEP.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1095, 6 April 1911, Page 8

THE FAKING OF SHEEP.

POWER OF THE JUDGES,

The "New Zealand Farmer" comments as under on the recent discussion iu The Dominion:— "An interesting discussion was started by a letter from Mr. Williams, of Masterton to The Dominion Inst month 011 the question of the 'faking' cf show sheep. Anyone who takes cognisance of : the illustration of show sheep, not only here, but in any part of the world, must be aware that in nearly nil.' cases a. certain amount of preparation has been undergone by the sheep. Why the question is of more importance with sheep than catllo or horses is simply'because the length of wool permits of much greater modification than in the case of short-haired beasts. It is almost solely in the clipping and arrangement of the wool, to cover defects in staple and conformation of the. body, that faking of sheep is to'.bo found. To what extent this clipping, and preparation are desirable is a very debatable question. The further the process is carried out the more attractive the sheep appears from the popular standpoint, and the more value it has to the show as a. public attraction. To say 'sheep must be shown as .they come from the pastures, without anything being.done to their wool,' would be to greatly.lessen the. drawing power of the sheep exhibit. On the other hand, would .the. farmer who attends the show be materially a gainer? If the judge is competent, every sheep that is given a card will have been handled, and any shortening or blocking-ont of the wool detected. It will not necessarily be the most artificially gof-up sheep that, heads the list, and the' farmer in discovering Why this is so, should learn at least as much as ■if the .sheep were brought straight from the pasture. Any faking that' may be done, should not'gain any flock even a temporary show reputation. If Sve can-plaec reliance, on the sheep judges, there is not a great deal.to fear from 'faking.' ' The point really is. can wo? : Incompetent or. careless judging must result, in a handicap in favour of the'faker, which would-be ultimately disastrous to -the''Dominion.'flocks, as well as- the ■ individual. In our opinion it, is mainly a question of the societies seeing that they appoint thoroughly competent men. ' If (and when) they do so, the faker, will get short shrift."