TARANAKI SHEEPFARM

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 284, 29 August 1942, Page 9

TARANAKI SHEEPFARM

Good Romneys Bred

At the'Mastertoll stud ram fair some two or three years ago Taranaki, gained the limelight, when the top-priced Koinney ram of the season went to that province. This was the 380-guinea Alloa shearling. The purchaser, was Mr. J. L. Best, whose farm the writer visited when last in Taranaki. What a contrast were conditions here to those in the Featherston district—an 80-ineh rainfall and an altitude of 90u feel. This farm lies some 12 miles inland from Ellhani and Stratford, on easy hill country which carried heavy bush till clearinl 40-od’d years ago. It was found that, the pastures had held well. Of recent years Mr. Best has adopted a policy of topdressing'the best of his country, and during the past sea-, son or two he has begun liming to a considerable extent.

Good results have been obtained from both dressings, anil in the course of a walk over the flats of the property I found some very good pasture... 'The flats have, of course, bean gradually regrassed from their original bush sowing, one or two crops being taken off in the process'. (In a typical hillside pasture, enclosed within a chou moullier crop, 1 found cocksfoot, dogstail and Yorkshire fog predominant. Noxious weeds .are not menacing here, and but little evidence was seen of scrub or other second growth. This is so, I would judge, because of the sound fertility of the soil which enables it to curry a good pasture and a consequent fairly high rate of stocking. It is

on poor soils that weeds cause the most concern ; they have not there the competition of grasses and stocking.. As evidence of the useful quality of this country, Mr. Best pointed out a farm across the road, of 150 acres, which was practically all hilly in the typical district fashion. This was carrying a herd of 50 dairy cows which averaged around 3001 b. butterfat, together with usual young stock and also about 50 ewes.

Mr. Best, additional to his sheep breeding, carries also an 80-cow herd, and lie recalls with gratitude how this saw him through the lean depression years. The productivity of this farm is aided by a winter cropping policy wherein chou moullicr and cbou moullier plus swedes serve well the needs of his stock. Hay is also saved in fair quantity. The breeding of stud Romneys is no new venture in this case. The Best family were among the early settlers of the province, the original homestead being on the main road, and they brought here about the first Romneys in Taranaki. (Now, to judge from show and sales results, the flock is breeding the best to be found in this province. Mr. Best himself awards much of the credit for the success obtained to the.long continued use of Alloa ranis. Among these was-one secured many years ago at a'cost of only COgris., who bred so well that most of the top ewes are his progeny. The previously mentioned 3Sogn. ram has proved another winner. Of last season’s top six rams no less than five were from that one top-noteher. A recent addition to the flock is a line of 21 Waiorongomai ewes, and there is every reason to expect that these will knit well with the flock.