Sheep Breeding.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 127, 27 November 1895, Page 3

Sheep Breeding.

Some very interesting figures in relation to the value of the different breeds of English sheep for crossing with merinos have been published by the Farmer and Stock-breeder, U.S.A. The average prices obtained in London for prime fat wethers, 20 to 22 months old, for both carcase and wool, are given as follows (in each instance dae rams are pare cneclnos): — The Lincoln eross — wool> 1.46 dol. ; carcase, 1.72d01, ; total, 6.18d01. Border Leicester cross - wool, 1.16dol. ; carcase, 4.80dol. ; total, 6.16d01. Eomney Marsh eross — wool, 1.12dol. ; carcase, 4.54d01. ; total 5.66. Shorpshire cross — wool, 1.35d0). ; carcase, 4.84d01. ; total, 6.19d01. Sontbland cross— wool, 90 cents ; carcase, 4.81dol. ; total, 5.71d01. The order of merit of the crosses, without taking into consideration the costs of production, is Shropshire, Lincoln, Border Leicester, Southdown and Eomney Marsh. At the same time the market value of a prime merino wether of the the same age was - wool, 90 cents ; carcase, 2.75d01 ; total, 3.65d01. These resuits are interesting to Australian pastoralists, but the returns with us would be different as a pure merino wether's fleece is worth more than that of a Southdown of the same age, and the carcase would compare more favourably with that of a Southdown than did the American, merino in tbe test given. There is a cross of some importance that is not included in this return and that is the Hampshire Down-merino cross, which has given such excellent results in Australia. It is highly creditable to the Shropshires that their cross should stand first on the list.