SOUTH AFRICAN SHEEP

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 237, 1 July 1919, Page 10

SOUTH AFRICAN SHEEP

CLAIM THAT THEY EQUAL \ AUSTRALIAN. A.remarkable statement was made at Bioemfontein at a meeting of the South African Stud Breeders' Association, held (luring the agricultural show, now the greatest meeting of the kind in South Africa, Mr. Jlallinson, one of the leading sheep experts- of the Union; when it was proposed that names of imported strains, such as Wanganella, Tasmania?!. should be dropped, said: "If sheep are bred to 'South African - standard at any one farm, and that strain foeco'mes known, then it should be known by the name of that farm as a particu- . lar strain of South African merino. I . liave seen sheep at this show, not one, bill' dozens, iis good' as any exhibited fit the great shows at Sydney. Tho lime has arrived .when South Africa should take equal rank with Australia in tlio quality of sheep.'" ■ This sentiment met with universal support. Ten years ago, says an exchange, such a claim would havo been scouted as ridiculous. That its reasonableness is demonstrable now indicates, the ad- ' vanco of South African stock-breeding, which is a fact of Imperial importance. As an illustration of this progress it may be'mentioned that Mr. t Soutney, well-known Caps breeder, imported a. . champion Tas'mdniau ram. for £100(1, Mr. Sonthey has now refused for the African-bred'grandson, which has already beaten the 1917 Tasmanian chainpioii. .'-