N.Z. SHEEP IN AMERICA

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3131, 9 July 1917, Page 8

N.Z. SHEEP IN AMERICA

A VISITOR'S IMPRESSIONS

APPRECIATION OF N.Z. STOCK

-inln* ? S i. 1? x bast , sll «P °I England and tho best oi New Zealand to 'iaKiina \ alley nnd biiend them/"into a strain unit will produce a maximum of wool and mutton second to none in tho world is.(says the "Spokesman Koview" of bpokaue Washington) the ambition that Hj-btanloy Coihu, of North i'akima, has set lor himself, and he has just taken a long step in the realisation of his ambition, by importing direct from Xrw Zealand 100 head of tho finest Hoiuncys and Lincolns that, tho islands can produce, choosing his types after a personal visit to tho stud bands' of tho mast notable breeders in the world. Mr. Coffin lias just returned from a thifce months' trip to the Orient, touching in at Japan, China, and tho Philippines en route, 110 took two months to mako a tour of inspection of tho sheep industry of Australia and' New Zealand. Mr. Coffin is himself, it pioneer sheepman of the'North-West, and one of tho most notable breeders of purebred liomneys and l Lincolns known in this soction. For tho past six years he lias been importing <lircct from England for the improvement of his stud bands, and lias produced many prize-winners shown in tho fairs of -the North-West and stook shows all over the country. . Ho was first' attracted to the New Zealand types by the exhibits of breeders of that country at the Panama-Pacific Exhibition at San Ifrancisco, and at that time purchased several bucks to iiso for tho improvement of hi? own bands, and was so well ploased with the results obtained that ho decided to make a personal trip to Now Zealand. \ Greatest Stock Country in the World. Mr.' Coffin is enthusiastic about his importations which ho saw landed safely in San Prancisco before ho lelt California* to return to his home. "To my mind," Bay's he, "Now Zealand is the greatest stock country in tho world, 'i'hero is graes and shnde and water everywhere, and everything grows big and fat. Some homesteads, as they call thorn, run as high as eight sheep to tho acre tho year round, and it is poor land that will' not run two. The homestead is divided into smaller fields called paddocks, each with water and plenty of J shade, and all tho owners havb to <lo:apparently is to watch the animals grow. "I purchased 100 head of stud t-hcep which I will movo out of quarantine in San Francisco next week, bringing them direct to North Yakima, exceyt for a fow head that I purchased lor other breeders in tlio North-West. 1 bought Homneys and Lincolns for lnyeoli', and will uso them with, my own stud flocks of purebreds hero to improve the staplo of tho wool and tho typo of mutton sheep. . "After years of careful selection and in-brecding tho Now Zealnnders have succeeded in producing almost an ideal typo for the production of both wool and mutton. Their sheep aro built low down, with a big body and short legs, and, abovo all. wool. They grow wool of uniform stapio all over tho body. It is as long on tho legs and bellies of the sheep as it is on the backs. When tho shearing time conies the Now Zealander has littlo market. Here and in Australia each fleece is separated into four or five grades, but tho . New Zealand fieeco is virtually all first-class wool.

"Thn '-Komney is the leading sheep in Now Zealand. They shear ' almost _, aa heavy as tho Lincoln, nnd tho wool averages from 3 to i conts more ». pound,as it FcoiiiTS out lighter than, the Lincoln. Thoßomney is low built, short leg;, heavy bone, 'big body, and a heavy sheafing-sheop. The wool"off tho Komney is oMight shrink, and tho animal does better under all: circumstances llianany other breed. In New Zealaud two-thirds of the sheep are Ronincys, with tho Lincolns second choice.

"AVe havo heard considerable of the Corriedalo breed here for the last few years, and I was much interested in looking them over while I was there. I found that in the North Island they do not think much of- them, calling them a crossbred, but in tho South Island they fancy them greatly, and are breeding many of them. The Corriedalo is :i- crossbred stock, being the progeny of ii Merino and 'long-wool sjieep of any other pure breed. "As tho s Morinos are fast going out, it becomes necessary to establish a breed to keep up the half-blood ewes, and this "breed is used for that purpose, and not for sires to raise quick-maturing fat lambs. The ; wether lamb 3 are largely sold to be fattened on rape and pea pastec, nnir the ewes are kept for breeding and bred to Leicester or Southdown rams for fat freezer lambs. The Corriedalo in the South Island is increasing rapidly and considered a good wool sheep and a good mother.

"My opinion is that we can raiso b'ct- . ler Corriedales than are produced in

'Australia, as our foundation stock on the Kanibouillet sido is better than tho Now Zealand Merino. But wo will Jiavo to take time. 'The Corriodales of New Zealand aro produced alter fifteen years of inbreeding. By using the best New Zealand or homo produce Corricdulo rams on our lialf : blood ewes we can hasten the desired result. .' I believe that nfter ft few years of inbreeding and close culling, we cau raise tho best Corriedalcs in the world. "I succeeded in purchasing 6omo of the best breeding stock tho Islands produce. Tho best stud stock is more or less scare and high, as the breeders refuse to sell their high-class etuds to brooders there, especially to competitors, but as I was buying , to ship to tho United States,' and tho animals would build up tho lame of New Zealand,in n country they are anxious to cultivate, 1 was able to purchase some Tcry bighgrcuie stock. Wonderful Sight at Stock Sales. "1 bought from such well-known breeders as Lrnest Short, William Perry, A. 1). M'lfaster, W....H. Whybourne, and tho Aow Zealand and Australian Land and Sheep' Company. Wo attended several tidier of stocfc and fat sheep and cuttle. . . . They have tho best arranged yards and show rings I have over seen, and prepare their animals for tho salo j-.better, and got tho price. . . . "With my,son, 1 travelled aIL over New Zealand for three weeks attending sheep shows and sales and visiting; a. great many of tho best sheep stations, aiid going through the wool warehouses and lreezing works. Wβ found the people of New Zealand most hospitablo and glad to entertain and show us over their places and give us all possible information. Sheep Growing Reduced to a. Science. "Tho sheep-men are tho leading and ric'iest men in New Zealand, and have for years figured how to get tho most out of each acre of land, and in doing so they have bred, or, I might say, in .«. great many cases inbred, their sheep to get this result. Sonio of the finest fanning land, in tho world is in sheep pasture, and they claim they are making more money on the investment in this way than, in any other. The time may come hero when we will work up to * the point where our high-priced lands will bo put back into pasture for sheep, strange us the proposition may sepm."