SHEEP-SHEARING CLASSES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1558, 30 September 1912, Page 8

SHEEP-SHEARING CLASSES.

•— . FOE TECHNICAL STUDENTS. ■An interesting report on a proposal to )j establish classes in sheep-shearing, wool- J classing, and in the study of sheep gen- (l orally, was presented to tho Technical ' School Board on Friday ovenins by Mr. ij W. S. La Trobe, the director 0 fthe school. \ The director said that tho board could 1 get about 2110 sheep weekly of mixed ,( breeds, io shear and. class hud bale fleeces, i Tin's supply would keep up till the end of '] October, with probably a smaller mini- ( her till the end of November. Thereafter, there would be no woolly sheap 1 available tijl tho woolly lambs begin to M come in, say in March. Froin tlien on Ij there should be 110 difficulty in getting S lambs and then sheep to shear. The s board could also got, free, in .return ior j shearing the sheep and classing, tho wool, fj a large shed with concrete floor, suffi- a ciently the use of two large j sheds for sheltering the sheep, from tho j weather, so that there may. always be dry j sheep available for shearing, at Xgahaii- « ranga.; also tho use of tlireo machines, j with accessories, and possibly an oil or I petrol motor to run them, without much 3 expense. , ■ 3 The cost of prepitring the shed for the purpose of the school would be trivial, S and would be borne by the person supply-. S ing tho sheep, noni.imicd the director. The tj classes would preferably be held in tho j afternoon, and there was some prospect of j getting a class of from twelve to twenty 51 students together twice a week, for the tj five or Mx weeks. Tliere would also be p 110 difficulty in arranging, without oddi- j tional expense, for lectnrrs from experts (l branches. Students would bo 8 übiC to sac soniethiug of tho distributor's i end of the mutton aud wool trades. p The course of .instruction could include, j the lollowing subjects:—ldentification and 1 points of different breeds of sheep; influence of soil and climate on growth and \ development of both sheep and wool; estimation of yield of wool, and weight of 1 1 carcass, and quality of both, with subsequent testing; the operations of the shear- I ing shed, with training in tho use and j care of hand and machine shears; class- j ing, skirting and rolling and baling of : J tho wodl ; tho defects and. diseases of j sheep and woo], with demonstrations from j the live sheep and afterwards from the carcass; genera! considerations in breeding, feeding and managing sheep, illns- j (rated from the varied assortment passing j through the hands of tho classes. j "Provided thai satisfactory j ments can be made, and that a sufficient' j number of earnest students con be found, I lam of opinion," cone!tided the director, j "tliat."g<>e<l'sMind scientific'and practical training can lie given in such a class." "I think if wo do this for the farmers." said the chairman of the beard (Mr. T). Hobertson), "they ought. to give a big 1 donation towards our new school." j On fc motion of Mr. .T. G. W. Aitken. j Ih" director was authorised to proceed E with the organising of the classes on the lines indicated. • e