LINCOLN SHEEP

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 2, 3 July 1939, Page 16

LINCOLN SHEEP

DEMAND IN ARGENTINA

Argentine breeders who have been in the habit of purchasing New Zealand sheep are becoming more exacting in their specification for top quality sires, all of which must pass rigid examinations. Recent cabled advice received from Buenos Aires indicates that there is at present a strong demand for ram's of the best quality in Lincoln, Corriedale, Southdown, and Romney breeds, and the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, sent a consignment for sale in the Argentine by the Port Sydney, [which left Wellington recently for Montevideo. Included in this consignment are a number of high-class Lincoln rams bred by Mr. William Rayner, of Masterton, Mr. L. R. Wilton, Rangitumau, Masterton, and Mr. W. M. Bishell, "Caythorpe," Blenheim. The Corriedales included sheep from the studs of Messrs. James.Reid, Darfield, Canterbury. D. and M. Sidey and Son, Hawarden, North Canterbury, John F. Neal, "Lucknow," Seddon; R. T. Laidlaw, "Craigieburn," Blenheim, and Mr. Rayner. Mr. Rayner also sent five Romneys.

For many years the Lincoln breed has been in request in the Argentine, where there are now about 14,000,000 of these sheep. In the early days of settlement in the Hawke's Bay, Manawatu, and Poverty Bay districts the Lincoln was used for stocking heavy grass pastures following the felling of bush and the sowing of English grasses. Later, with the advent of refrigeration, it was found that the Romney breed was more suited to these districts and the Lincoln fell into disfavour and eventually there were less than a dozen studs in the Dominion. After the demand set in from Argentine a few breeders, particularly Mr. Rayner, continued to improve their studs and by careful breeding were able to develop a low-set, deep-bodied type, well covered on the points with lustrous long stapled quality wool that attracted notice from Argentina. ,