CHINESE SHEEP

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 272, 13 August 1919, Page 10

CHINESE SHEEP

''The'Heece of tho Chinese sheep is "'white; Hack-or. wliito with spots of. fawn, ';"red'dr black. With the exception of a ''tuft of-longi hair ranging over the fore->\neadrthe-fleece extends from tho base of : "the"iieck'to the knees and above tho "bocks; no wool occurs on.tho belly. Hair "-'often, occurs under the caret 'extending •towards, the. withers'. With certain rare exceptions the wool is mixed with kemp in variable quantity. In tho tallest animals the base of the ileece consists of long stiff hairs. On .account of its inequality;,'and shortness of tho fibres ]t ,consi«ts-oishort pointed locks which are 1 lacking'in fineness. Tho average diameter of "the fibres is 0.01 mm., the '-rango-ieing-from 0.01 to 0.05 mm. The fine wool consists of more equal-fibres. The'lnsufficient suint makes the . wool Bomewhat 'rough and tho fibres not very resistant. Some fleeces aro curly, but ''the-majority yield a short glossy wool '" with' individual variations. The sheep '••occur in most parts of the provinces exT ".ce'p't"insomo of the lower regions with a V-inoist warm climate. They are tended ; ' bv Chinese- Mussulmans.. The largest .''flocks consist of 100 sheep and are mixed "with' vory tall and vigorous gonts. No sort of hygienic treatment is observed. There is no definite mating period and no selection, mating being made in haphazard fashion and resulting in the degeneration of tho race. Sheep rearms An Yunnan is pursued for meat and wool. Wethers cost locally about is. to 6s. ' Exceptional specimens may realise lis". ' Ewes have less value. Since there are no public abbatoirs the animals are slaughtered each day at certain, houses -■by 'Means of a transverse cut in the r'tliroat. The 'dressed carcass ••• eiglis about '■''351b. and realises about 2d. per lb. iho • 'hide ■' weighs about 3.91b. Tho llesn is -tender-and savoury when yo.ung, but '■ generally too lean. Tho sheep are shorn 'thrice a year, the fleece averaging 10i to 21oz The preparation of the skms -'forms a nourishing industry particularly ■ ; jn the'province of Tchac-Tung. Skins with their wool attached aro used lor '"making fur-lined clothes of which there is a good export trade.

Returns of tlio.numbers of hvo stock cm farms in the United States on Jlurcii - 1 of this year and last year snow that " D i'«s bu"ianus have increased I>y 1,808,000 head between Maxell 1..1918, and March ■ 1,1019; cattle by ii.SSi.OOO haul; and Bflesp ; by 4,3'J9,U00 head. Alcsrs. Tonminsen and Hnnssn nave i (says' the "Live Stock Journal") pur- . chased from iU.Vv. Spun-, Woxliain, Anderley, Alibm, the yearliuß bhortJlonl bull Vcxliaiu llbir 7tu, iw 1001) stuJnaw. Ko is sued by lCin}fdtott'« ileir M'OT, >' llnst prize-winner at rlottuiKimni, U-WW- " tor, and tlio Itoyal Show lit jinnohestor ■ in 1910. Kingston's Heir is ft soil oiJiili'l of Kington iaiO-11, bml by Ulafl AUm•vera, and sold to Iho Jildtfuoto U>. 101' - im This is tlio hisiwsli mm mi paid for a bull for export to wa»«"*rKi the previous highest being (120 KUUWita for a bull libufiiit ul JJirniiiigkm lass February. ■ According to Df. Forslinw, liaiv 111 Hlllro Iforees has hi Kl'tsat teliss by tlio quality ot tlio leather" one «ali judxo tlio typo of tiudorlvius bwie. (u) long silky huh' (not Loo soft) means hnftl, ■"■'ivory-like buiio that will endure i'ef yefti'ft '. -the kind of Ity sought ails? fey till practical biiyeiS of wwli liersffl, KM! encouraged «lid hlmcd lit by iIU K'llo ■ Shire- breeders, (b) ijhork SUIW),Y Mh '.'-, or longer coartft elli'ly hall 1 , iileflils il Jeff of' a less durable type and nut to 1)6 ieoked for in the true Slilre. Thell' llnlf .. is a -protection til tils leg against ll«rt " nnd cokli J>. iOrSlmw leslilles to \m t'onncf after felti' 'Years' cxilerienee-With : l Shires in the toopife!, whilst;, tlm kiM' k proved in lintfkiid every whiter, 1 116 ' -oilv exudation from Hionim Uld.llAlY IOU licies is pretectal by the loinxth fef liall'i rpiTHSirHierskm duis not bo readily ernes *'ffw¥ "dryness, anil dltt does not Ml caflly" -enter tlio porca of the skin, Tlite' tlit]§ """diminishes tho ohance;} of grease, which U ' iiuwt commonly caused by (lie eiitmluft of infective niabsrkl into a oftick,—"Live '• Stock Journal,"