THE SHEEP INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2682, 31 January 1916, Page 8

THE SHEEP INDUSTRY

CONDITIONS IN AMERICA. , » .* , ■ rl' • Si Mr. David Evans;■ well known in the « sheep-farming world ou .this side of-the ® Pacilic. as wxdl as 'iu America, returned g to Wellington by tile Maitaii yesterday,. n after over a ,'year's absence in the w States, where-he has been-engaged by Jj .Various sheep-meu who-exhibit at th_e & • shows: throughout: the",riiidle';,'west.and. h west; of the States-., Mr.lEyjins states' S that: American'->shcep-men. ; ! 'have'; been :j pretty hit dtirmg"'the: last'.'year, « owing' to the prevalence* of foot and' * mouth disease, which made its appear- p 1 cnce during a big show held in. Chicago i; about a year ago, and spread in all '.ax- 2 Sections very rapidly. . Owing the j disease a prohibition -had; been placed i I , on. the transfer "of all sheep' aiud stoclc t from !least of the Missouri River, an ® ! edict that was soundly:enforced, and j .was in a measure responsible for the i i failure of the sheep show held in con- j I. ueotion with the Panama-Pacific Exposi- c : )tion in October last. At that show i Isew. Zealand was represented by Horn- ' ! ney;hjid ( Lincoln rams; shown by. Messrs. ' • iW."Perry .and of. thif^Vaira-. .1 '. tapa ( and Harming, of:;i Hawke's Bay,- r. >ra'ms i wfere shown by"Messrs. Greenwood "and ; ; 'Ensor, of Canterbury. That they did i not do as well as expected was not the < [ faWlt.of the sheep, but was owing to the .J -extraordinary conditions which have-to '] • (ho met at American A', and-P. Shows. « I > Tile Bomneys were successful, as .apart 1 ; from Mr. Riddell, of Oregon, -the New ' Zealand meu were the only exhibitor's in i j tliat. class.' Mr. lliddpll liad obtained 1 i . ti'is blood stock from Mr. E. Short.; of, | I'eilding, and had built up a fine ilock '• from his importations,' obtained'through- ; ': :the.'agency of Mr. Evans. During last , summer (our winter) Mr. Evans trav- : elled the shows-in 1 the .middle west with ■ <v fine'selection of-Hampshires, aiid did (•. very well, on,behalf of a Dakota farmer. ' ' ■ He speaks inlhigh terms of. the spleri-', did work done by Mr. E; Clifton, New Zealand's Commissioner at tho Panama- . ]?acifie-'Exposition, referring to the uni- : \ form courtesy, tact, and business ability he exercised on all occasions,'whilst lie was personally extremely'popular. In'tho matter of representation it would ' ■suffice to say that- New Zealand com'pared more than favourably with Aus-., , tj-alia. ■■ ■- ' , ; The potat-o crops have not proved as . profitable this year as in the past (Bays • the Auckland "Star"), mainly through : tho low selling prices and the-increased: ; . wages which were demanded and paid 1 to the Maoris for digging the crops. ; .Though their price is now Is.' 3d. per ■hour 1 they are not contented,' and in numerous cases requests , , have.. been. . jnade for a further advance of , a halfpenny. The price paid per bag for dig- ■ ; ging potatoes is also in advance of the' ■ sum'.paid previously, ' .